Jack and the Seven Sisters
by Deirdre Skye
Summary: In the temple battle, Aki's mask falls apart when Jack cracks it. A small change makes a large difference.
1. Aki's Luck Is In

A flurry of strikes and parries, the robot was amazingly fast. A quick disarm and an armlock, a headbutt cracked its mask, the robot fell back and its mask fell apart. A woman, little more than a girl! Fist to the gut, driving the air from her lungs, then a sprint, her sword now his, the assassin's knife dragging along the wall to seal the tunnel behind him. He jumped into the river.

"Aki!" Ashi cried as she knelt beside her sister. "What happened? Are you all right?"

Aki nodded weakly, then Ami and Avi helped her rise. "He… broke my mask. Gut punch, I was helpless. Took my sword and ran." Though her breath was not entirely back, she could manage a longer sentence. "Why didn't he kill me? He could have. From what Mother said, he should have. So why am I still alive?"

The other Daughters looked between themselves. "I have no idea," Ashi finally said. Ami said slowly, "Perhaps he has some kind of code? He won't kill a helpless foe?" Her voice rang thick with doubt. They'd all grown up on the tales of the Samurai's merciless depredations, after all. How to reconcile his ruthlessness with his sparing Aki? The Daughters withdrew to a larger chamber to rest and to consider their next move.

"We have to assume he'll use lethal force next time," Ashi said after they'd picked out their resting spots. "We'll be fighting for our lives, and the lives of the world."

Avi nodded. "He's better than we thought. And now he has some idea of our abilities, so we can't catch him off guard so easily, and he has Aki's sword." The others sat in the near-total darkness, thinking and considering. "So we need to plan. We can't fight as we normally did against Rika, we need to find a new way." So it began, the Daughters discussing attack orders, tactics, and a concept they couldn't even name, only grope and stumble blindly towards.

 _The Forests of England, roughly sixty years before._

"And if I need to trap a man?" Jack asked. "A knight, perhaps?"

His teacher smiled, an expression that became easily to him. "That's why we have man-traps. I'll show you. We've got traps for catching, injuring, and killing; they're a lot like the animal traps you already know." Then the new lessons began.

 _Another forest, the present_.

Jack was busy, very busy, thinking and planning, building traps and making weapons. The girls would not fall to simple traps, they were too skilled, too fast, too strong. He tested every cord; if he could break them, they were too weak. Nets, bolas, snares, even deadfalls, though he doubted the last would help. And for once, the weather was helpful: the snow would cover the snares. This would still be a hard fight, but it was looking more and more possible.

"So, we're sure about this?" Avi asked. "This seems so wrong… "

"But it's necessary. We're strong individually, but with these new techniques, well… " Ashi smiled. "You remember the last drill." The others smiled, even Avi. They certainly did. "And now… we hunt!" The seven rose as one, in more perfect synchronization than ever, and jogged toward the exit.

The river was the clear place to start. Ashi took the centre of their v-formation, Ari and Aji the points, all of them watching the banks. The Samurai would not escape them again; if he kept to river, his lack of tracks would show that, and if he left, his tracks would show that. And so they continued down, swimming to the bank as the sun began to set. Adi reached into her suit's darkness, and came out with empty hands. "We have a problem," she said. The others did the same, and likewise came up empty.

Ashi looked at her own empty hand. "We need to kill something. Something big enough for all of us." She thought back to their meals in the temple. "All our meat came from things with four legs, so anything with four legs should be good to eat. Something… about a quarter our size, I think. We don't want to waste food." The others nodded. "Split up, and when you get a kill, howl. We'll only need one the right size."

Jack surveyed his work, and found it good, until he showed up. Glowing blue, with sharp teeth. "Are you insane?" Mad Jack demanded. "Do you truly think you can take those girls not only alive but unharmed? You've seen how strong they are, they're just as fast as us, and nearly as skilled! They'll slaughter us if we hold back!" Jack growled, turned to him. "I must do this. I must know who and what they are. Where are they from, who raised them, how can they be so strong? And I will not kill them. They are humans, people, and though I will kill monsters, I will not kill people. I never have, and will not start now." "Well you should! There's no other way we'll survive them, it's them or us!" "No! There is another way, and this is it!" He sighed heavily. "I must at least try." Mad Jack screamed, and went wherever it was that he went when not ranting. Jack went back to gathering food.

A howl rang through the forest, a strange and chilling sound of triumph. Shortly thereafter, Avi presented her kill to the others. It was a strange-looking creature, even compared to the others they had seen. Its front legs were too small, or perhaps its back legs too long. Its head seemed strangely large somehow, its tail heavy, thick fur a peculiar grey-green. She tossed it down before the others. "So, who wants to cut it up?" They all looked equally uncomfortable, including Avi herself, until Aji drew her kunai. "I'll do it." It was a slow process, and very messy, the snow stained with blood and entrails by the time the meal was skinned and cut apart. They didn't even hesitate at eating the raw flesh. How could they cook with no fire? Soon, every edible bit they could get at was gone, leaving only skin and bone and entrails behind, and they scrubbed the blood from their faces with snow.

"Tomorrow, we resume the hunt." It was not a question. "Tonight, we sleep up there," and Ashi pointed to the branches of the trees, branches most could never reach. The others nodded, and climbed spider-like into the canopy, finding secure places to rest and probably sleep. The samurai could not possibly take them off-guard from the ground, and was too large and heavy to spring silently through the trees.

Jack emerged from the cave where he had been sheltering with a surprisingly friendly wolf. It had been days since the temple, and the women had not yet found him. Perhaps he needed to make a clearer trail; no doubt they had lost his tracks in the snow. A great leap took him to the edge of the forest, then by leaps and bounds through the canopy, toward the river. They would have certainly followed it, at least at first. Much of the way through, he stopped, puzzled by the strange sight before him. At the limit of his vision, seven figures lay draped over the bare branches of seven different trees, arms and legs dangling. He was not near enough for them to have heard the slight noise of his passing, he was barely near enough to see them clearly. But why were they sleeping so? Why did they have no watcher? He smiled in realization. They were unaware of his ability to "jump good." Perhaps, if he were quick enough about it… He returned to the shelter, then approached the sleeping girls carefully, slowly, as silent as snow, bo across his back and multiples bolas at his belt.

"This is still crazy! You can't possibly take them all like this! One or two at the most, but not all seven. The others will kill us the moment they wake up!" "Two will be enough," he whispered. "We cannot defeat all seven at once, but we do not need to." "That doesn't make this idea not crazy! They're asleep right now, vulnerable, you should just end as many as you can!" "No," he said. "I have failed in many ways, but I will not fail in this way." As soon as he was in range, he readied a bolas in each hand, and hurled each at a different masked woman, two more while the first two were in flight. As he had expected, the first ones entangled two women's wrists and forearms, and they woke with cries of alarm - alarm, but not fear or panic. The others rolled off their branches, twisting as they fell to grab them. A third woman had the bolas wrap around her arm, and the last had her legs pinned. Three out of the fight for the moment, that was a good start. He sprang for the nearest, who produced a great club from seemingly nowhere, swinging at where he would have to be. He could not dodge it, and did not try, instead twisting and grabbing to pull her from the branch with his own weight. They both fell, and in the few moments of the fall, he won the struggle for top spot, driving his knees into her gut with the full force of impact. Another moment to spring clear, and as she rose, unsteady, another bolas took her out of the fight, at least for a moment.

Above, the other Daughters worked to free their pinned sisters. Avi could wait; surely all six of them together could take down the samurai. Suddenly, he was among them again, hurling more of those… whatever they were. Now only Aki and Adi were free, but two to one was still good odds, they thought. Aki flung kunai while Adi pulled her yari from the darkness. The samurai blocked the daggers with his bo as he leaped to another branch, and they had no choice but to follow. They would free their sisters after his death.

The fight was brief, intense, and entirely one-sided. The Daughters were superb fighters, but Jack had decades of experience on them, and was still in the prime of youth and strength. Once they too were helpless, he systematically moved them, and their sisters, to trees to which he bound them with the cords he had brought for that exact purpose. The unmasked Daughter spoke first. "Get it over with," she said.

Jack turned to her. "What exactly do you expect me to do?"

"Kill us, of course. Maybe torture us first." Despite their fury, her words were surprisingly matter-of-fact. "That's what you do, you murder and pillage, you destroy the beauty of our lord and master's creation! Why do you think we were sent to kill you? But we failed… we lost…" and she broke down sobbing. "Failure is death." Face streaked with tears, she looked up at him, expression pleading. "Please… make it quick."

Jack stared, shocked. "I do not want to kill you at all. Or torture you, or otherwise harm you now that you are not a threat to me. Tell me, who is your lord?"

"Who else?" one of the masked daughters demanded. "You don't need us to tell you who is lord and master of the world!"

Jack turned to her, and removed her mask. His brows went up in surprise, and by the time he had removed all six masks, he was staring in open amazement. Seven women, seven young women, and identically pretty. "You serve… Aku? You think he created the world?"

"Of course," snapped the one with the peaked hair. "Our lord and master created the world and everything in it! You are only a parasite, feeding off Aku's generosity! Treacherous worm, lecherous snake, we will undo the evil that is you! We will fight you until our last breath! So long as we have blood in our veins we will strike you down!"

Jack considered his options. "I will be back soon," he said, and walked away.

The Daughters looked at each other once he was out of earshot. "He spared us," Aki said, her voice soft, unbelieving. "He spared me twice. Why? He's killed entire villages, why not us?"

"He wants to turns us to his side," Ari said. "Convince us that he's the good one, and our Lord Father is wicked. I think, perhaps, we should let him…"

"What!?" Ashi shrieked. "Have you gone mad? Turn against Aku? I should beat you senseless just for the suggestion! Traitor! Scum! Two headed worm that turns upon itself! How dare you…"

"Quiet! As I was saying, perhaps we should let him 'convert' us to his side. If he keeps up the pretence of being good and noble, then he aids our master by protecting His creation. If he does not, then we can kill him. Either way, we're better off."

Ashi considered that, and looked down and to the side, face set in hard lines. Her sisters murmured agreement with Ari, and she sighed. "Very well. But the moment he harms Aku's creation, except for food or self-defence, he dies." The others nodded. "We'll need to make him work for this. Two days at least."

Jack returned fairly soon, this time carrying a bag. "I brought you food. Will you take it? I pledge, it is not poisoned." They looked at each other, then nodded. He carefully fed them bits of meat from a bird's carcass, seasoned and cooked.

"You're a really good cook," the horn-haired sister sister said, surprised.

Jack smiled. "I have had much time to learn." After the feeding was done, he put snow in their mouths to drink. "You clearly know my name, but I do not know yours. Would you care to introduce yourselves?"

Ashi looked at her sisters, and nodded. "I'm Ashi. That's Ami," and she gestured with her chin toward the horn-haired girl. "She's Avi," indicating the girl with the pageboy. And she went around the circle twice more before Jack had their names down.

"Tell me, will you be all right here? If needed, I can stand watch over you."

"Our darksuits are surprisingly warm," Ashi said. "But could you give us our masks back? My face is freezing."

Jack considered, then complied. Carefully. "And you, Aki? What of you?"

"I… can survive the night. We all understand hardship here."

Jack nodded to that, and went to gather dead branches and deadfall to make a fire for the girls. They'd need it to keeps the animals at bay.


	2. The Daughters' Very Bad Day

Once he was out of earshot, the wing-haired girl spoke up. "He's… not what I expected. Quiet, well-spoken, and he seems pretty calm."

"It's just a front. He's trying to poison our minds," Ashi reminded her firmly. "Remember what Mother told us, Adi. Stay strong and we'll get through this." Then she smiled, warmly, and it was heard in her voice. "Maybe he could turn one of us, but not all of us. We can keep each other strong."

"You really have lost you mind!" Mad Jack snapped. "You honestly plan to take them under your care? You should do what Aki asked, kill them quickly! They're too dangerous!" "They have been led astray, taught a false path. I must help them find the true path. And perhaps in so doing, I can find it myself." "True path? What kind of 'ancient scroll' nonsense is this? They worship Aku! What happens when they realize you don't have the sword? How will you keep them from reporting it to Aku? You know what will happen when he learns that!" "I will have to show them the truth before that can happen. He hasn't been seen in years, and we're nowhere near his castle." Again, Mad Jack went to wherever it was he went when not ranting, and Jack began to gather firewood. He and the girls would need somewhere to stay for the winter, a city where there would be work for them all. He wondered what skills they had.

"You know, the greater world is… kind of nice. This ground's a lot softer than our usual rock," one Daughter said.

Ashi's mask smiled with her. "Yes, it is. And that's why we must always protect it, and honour its creator. So many strange and wondrous things." And so it went, the Daughters awkwardly attempting to talk about the strange new things they had seen. Small talk had never been a big part of their lives.

The sun was high by the time the samurai returned, a load of firewood on his back. He brushed snow away from the area between the girls, and carefully laid a fire. He didn't light it, not yet. The fuel would be needed much more later. Though it could not be seen behind her mask, Avi in particular studied everything he did, watching and learning. The fire laid, he turned to them. Facing, he thought, Ashi, he spoke. "So… tell me how you believe the world came to be."

The girl nodded to the request. "As you will. Long ago, there was only chaos, vast and formless. Then from this chaos, there came Aku, by means we do not know. By the might of Himself, He shaped the sun and the moon and the world, and made life begin. Plants, animals, people, all were His and praised Him, and the world was good. There was conflict, of course, for the world is complicated, but it was a good time, with more hope than despair, more joy than sorry. But just as Aku had been been born from Chaos, so too had the intangible principle of evil. Over time, the principle grew stronger, and in time made a vessel for itself, and challenged Aku, who flung the vessel into the far future, thinking to gather his forces in the meanwhile, and heal the damage done. But he learned that so long as the vessel lived, evil would continue, and so the the vessel reached the future, where its evil is law. So now Aku seeks to destroy the vessel, and unmake the principle of evil. He must work through others, for if He were to venture forth in His full glory and might, he would break the world by His presence."

"And you believe that I am the vessel."

The Daughters nodded. "How do you say the world came to be," Aki asked.

"Long ago, the gods made the worlds, and the stars and all things that live. For long and long, the world was as you say: More joy than sorrow, more hope than despair. Then, Aku came. I do not know how he came to exist upon Earth, only that my father fought him, and with the aid of a magic sword forged by the gods themselves, imprisoned him in the wasteland he made. Alas, he eventually broke free, and began to spread his evil. My parents sent me away to learn the ways of combat, that I might one day face Aku again, and rid the world of his evil. I did so, and claimed the sword in due course. I faced Aku in the Pit of Hate, and we fought, and at the last, before I could strike the final blow, he flung me into the future, where the only law is the law of Aku: the law of evil."

"But… if Aku is so evil, why do the people not rise against him?" asked one of the masked girls.

"Because Aku is vastly powerful," he answered. "They have no way to hurt him, and so it would be futile to fight. And he commands robots and mercenaries and others who do his will for their own benefit, not caring about the cost to others." He looked around the circle. "Tell me of yourselves? Where were you raised, what was your childhood like? Did you have friends?"

One of the masked girls, Ashi if he recalled their locations correctly, spoke up. "We were born in the Temple of Aku, our mother His High Priestess, our teachers and trainers her sisters in worship. As far back as we can remember, we have been trained in the skills we would need to fight you. In the great lake below the temple, we learned from the other worshippers to dive and swim. In the spike-filled caverns, we learned to run and leap and balance. We have learned weapons-work, and fighting unarmed, and the prayers to Aku. We grew up in the Temple; never before have we left its walls. We gained our darksuits when we were only little children. Through them, we have a tiny measure of the power of Darkness, which fills Aku with infinite might. When we grew to adulthood, we faced down our trainers, and killed them, proving ourselves the strongest, the most worthy. Mother gave us our masks, and sent us to end you. We failed. You have beaten and captured and humiliated us, but you let us live. You spared Aki twice, and we do not understand this at all."

So. Warrior nuns of a sort, he thought. That explained much. "I will not tell you about this world, or my place in it. It is better than you see it for yourselves, and I will be a guide and a teacher to you. What skills do you have beyond the lethal arts?"

"We're good runners, and excellent swimmers. We can leap farther than anyone else in the Temple, and we know how to tumble, flip, and roll past obstacles we cannot simply leap."

"That is all?"

"What else did we need? Our entire purpose in life was your death! But… you were stronger and more cunning than we had thought. Now, our lives are at the mercy of a being who knows none." Her voice, tightly controlled before, broke at that last, freighted with anger and fear.

Jack sighed heavily, looking at them with great sadness. "Do you even know how to find food?"

Another, Aji perhaps, nodded. "We can kill animals. And we know not to take too much."

"A start at least. But can you cook, or make fire, or build a shelter?"

They shook their heads. "But our darksuits are good for keeping us warm, so we haven't needed shelter," one of them, perhaps Ari, said.

"You will. Winter is barely starting, and the cold will grow much worse."

Aki's eyes went wide and her mouth fell open. "Worse?" she asked, voice filled with fear. "The temple at its coldest was warmer than it is now, and it's going to get colder? How can we survive? Or is that your plan, to leave us tied to these trees while we die of winter?"

He just sighed. "No. I would not do that. I did not go to the effort of taking you alive just to watch you die of cold or hunger. Once I feel I can trust you, at least a little, we will go to a city, where we can earn food and shelter. And some new clothes," he added ruefully. "On the way there, I will teach you the basics of wilderness survival."

"Thank you," Jack thought Ashi said. He might have been wrong about which Daughter said it, but the others nodded in near-perfect unity.

He withdrew quickly. "I must get more wood." He was barely out of their hearing by the time he could keep silent no longer. "I know that! But I must do all I can to show them the error of their ways! If they can be persuaded to aid our cause, think what a help they could be to the world and to us!" "And when they turn on you, think what a disaster it will be! The only hope for the world, dead, and Aku ruling forever. Is it worth it!?" "Yes! You know full well how things have been going since we lost the sword; we need all the help we can get!" "This is still madness! Stop it, now, kill them while you still can!" "NO! I will not! Not without cause, which even you will admit I do not have." Mad Jack growled, then stalked off behind a tree. Jack went back to gathering firewood.


	3. Morning Has Broken

"Sisters, look!" Ashi cried out, her mask's mouth smiling as wide as it could, the eyeholes almost level. "Look where I'm facing!" The others twisted to see what Ashi was looking at, though Aki could only barely manage it. Their breaths caught, and their faces lit up with delight as the sun rose over the hills. "His wonders are without end," Ashi breathed softly. Once the disc was mostly over the visual horizon, they had to turn away, but the joy did not leave their faces.

"The eternal beauty of the sunrise," Jack said from above. "Have you never seen it before?"

Aki shook her head. "Never. Is it normally like that?"

He dropped lightly to the snowy ground. "If the day is not cloudy, yes. The world is filled with beauty, if you only look." He looked at the former location of the fire. "Still a few coals, deeply buried. I will get more firewood, and something to eat today," he said and departed.

Again, the girls waited until they could no longer hear his steps. "What now?" Aki asked. "My face is freezing, and I can't take being tied like this much longer."

The others nodded their agreement. "We need to let him talk to us more, maybe encourage him," Ari said. "Agree to give him a chance, travel with him, so he'll free us. This is too good a chance to learn about the greater world, we can't miss it." Ashi agreed, and her sister continued. "Our purpose isn't just to kill him; it's to protect our Lord's creation. If travelling with him lets us learn enough to be better at that, then that's what we should do. Sooner or later, his act will fail, and when it does, we'll kill him. Even if we die in the process." They all nodded. Death was failure… unless it was the price of the samurai's death.

Jack returned not much later, and rebuilt the fire from the coals near its centre, then butchered the blue-furred pseudo-pig he had found.

"Samurai," one of the girls said, Ashi he thought. "The sunrise… it is Aku's doing?"

He shook his head, and answered in an offended tone, "No!"

"Then whose?"

He smiled. "Long ago, the gods set the stars in the heavens, and around the stars, they set worlds which turn, and as those worlds turn, every point on every world moves from day to night, and night to day, recreating every day the First Morning, an eternal reminder of the hope and beauty that are part of all worlds." His voice was gentle, soft, almost wistful. The nearest the Daughters could come to it was the tone in which some of the younger worshippers spoke of Aku's eventual return to their Temple. His tone still soft, he asked Ashi, "Which seems more sensible: that the deliverer of darkness created the sunrise, or the god of the sun?"

"The god of the sun of course. But how do you know there is one?"

Jack's smile did not waver. "I have met him." And he told the girls of how he had faced the Minions of Set, and called upon Ra to defeat them.

Mouth agape, Aki spoke for them all with her amazed "Truly?"

"Truly," he affirmed. He cut the pseudo-pig's carcass into pieces, and as he had done with the rabbit, set them to cooking on stakes near the fire. "I will not lie to you. If I do not know the answer to a question, I will say so, or try to work out the answer, but I never tell you a thing I know not to be so."

The Daughters looked between each other at that statement, and Ari bowed her head. "Thank you, samurai. We respect that, and will speak only truth to you."

"Domo," he answered.

"How do you know when the meat is cooked?" Ari asked.

"Do you see how I have arranged the sticks, so the shadow of that tree touches that one? When the shadow has moved to touch this other stick, the meat will be ready. Pork is a slow meat to cook, but very flavourful even without seasoning. I'm sure you'll enjoy it."

"We have had pork before. In the temple we mostly ate meat and bread, and drank water," Avi told him. "I agree, pork is wonderful."

Well, at least they had had some pleasure in their lives, he thought. Good. Everyone deserved that. But plain water? He'd have to introduce them to the joy of tea when they reached the city. Unless they forced him to… he forced himself not to think about that. "Have you any questions for me at the moment?"

Ari, he was fairly sure, answered. "We know of seasons, a little. But why do they happen, if not by Aku's will?"

"I do not know," Jack answered. "But I know they cannot be by Aku's will because there were seasons before his coming. When we reach the city, perhaps you can find someone who knows." He noticed Aki relax slightly. Perhaps they were softening in their determination. He turned his attention to the pork, turning the pieces as needed to ensure even cooking. Aki watched the shadow intently, he could see, and the longing on her face was plain to see. In due course, the pork was nearly done, and he removed the others' masks prior to serving them. Ashi's face was stony, the others showing various degrees of longing. They clearly enjoyed their breakfast, even Ashi despite her best efforts to remain stone-faced. After the meal was done, including his portion, taken last, and he used some snow to clean the girls' faces, and took the bones clear of the area, Ari spoke, her voice soft, even deferential.

"Samurai, please do not think us ungrateful," she said. "We are not, not in the least, only baffled. By everything we have learned, you would have been absolutely within your rights to kill Aki. To kill all of us. Yet you not only spared her, you went far out of your way to capture us. You haven't even tried to interrogate us, and you've said you won't kill us. Why? What makes us so important to you?"

Ah… perfect, Jack thought. Just the opening he'd hoped for. "That is simple. I have never killed a person. I have killed monsters, I have destroyed robots, but I have never killed a person, and have no wish to start. I thought you robots until I broke Aki's mask, and that changed my goals. It is my hope that you can come to see the truth of the world."

"This is true?" she asked, voice thick with suppressed hope.

"I have already said that I will not lie to you."

She sagged a bit in relief. "Thank you, samurai." The others, except for the stone-faced Ashi, nodded in agreement.

"I have a question for you," he told her. "If you would rather not say, I accept that; the question is rather personal. You have been tied to those trees for more than a full day, yet the snow is still white. How can that be?"

They looked between themselves, then blushed brightly, even Ashi. "It's our darksuits," Ari told him. "If need be, we can… hold off for a little while. But not much longer. Perhaps until the night comes. Certainly not until the day comes again."

Jack nodded to that. "Thank you. I could not repress my curiosity. So… your darksuits are important to you, they are much more than the tight plastic they seem."

"They are," she agreed.

"I will not ask more for now," he said, and leaped back up into the canopy. They heard soft, pleasant sounds drifting down. Vocal, clearly, but… not speech. Different, in some way they simply could not describe. Pleasant, even… uplifting. Rhythmic, like the chants of praise to their Lord, but in a completely different way. Even Ashi felt her heart soften, and she glared disapproval at the others as she shook her head. They took the hint, and did their best to school themselves to focus and hardness. In time, the sounds faded, leaving the girls alone with their thoughts, until other sounds, alien but charming, started to filter in. High, sharp sounds coming from above and around them. The Daughters looked between themselves, all equally baffled. Ashi smiled slowly. "The world truly is full of beauty."

The samurai returned briefly to add wood to the fire, then as the sun once more crept low in the sky, returned with Aki's sword in his hand. "You have a choice now, Daughters of Aku. I have no wish to kill you, but if you still seek my death, I will have no choice. So: do I return Aki's sword to her, or put it to her throat?"

Ashi spoke first. "You have our word, samurai, that we will not seek your death unless and until you give us just cause."

"And what do you call 'just cause?'"

Ari answered the question. "Harm to Aku's creation, beyond what is needed for your survival and while we travel together, ours. We are not convinced that our lord is evil, or that you are not, but we're willing to let you try."

He smiled. "That is all that I ask. Now, I must ask that you stay very, very still. I do not want to cut you." Moments later, the bindings were cut away, and he presented Aki's sword to her, then stared as she made it disappear behind herself. "The rest of your weapons are at the cave where I have been sheltering. I must ask that you follow my steps exactly. There are traps and snares on the way."

"Meant for us?" Aki asked.

"Yes," he answered simply. The trip was not long, but he paused at the edge of the area. "I must disarm the traps, lest some animal or traveller set them off." And so he did, explaining as he went what he was doing and why. The Daughters watched and listened intently; so much of this was genuinely new to them. Finally, they approached the cave. "I have the rest of your weapons here," he told them while they were still several dozen metres away. "Do not come closer. I share this with a very large wolf, and I would not see you or him harmed should he choose to dislike you." After they nodded agreement, he entered the cave, and emerged with their various weapons, which they caused to disappear into their darksuits before disappearing into the forest. Jack wondered why they had vanished so abruptly, then blushed at the obvious answer.

Once done, the Daughters returned to him. "So… where are we sleeping tonight?" Ari asked.

"Your decision to sleep high in the canopy was very wise, and we do not have time to make a better shelter, so that is what we will do." And with that, he suited action to words, leading the Daughters to a different sort of tree, reaching it just as the sun sank beneath the horizon. "This is called a live oak, and we can shelter within, toward its crown." Some quick climbing took them to reasonably secure points among the tree's many branches, where they settled in for the night.


	4. Roads and Paths

The next morning dawned clear and fair and chill, and the Daughters again felt their spirits rise with the sun. Once the group descended the tree, one of the girls turned to face Jack. "Samurai," she asked in a respectful tone, "why do we not hunt a larger animal? You can show us how to properly skin and clean and cook it, and we would have food for several days."

"Yes," he answered, "we would. But where would we carry it? We have no pouches or game bags. It would be very wasteful."

Her mask smiled slightly. "We can store the meat in our darksuits, just as we store and produce our weapons, enough for a few days." Jack looked around, and the others nodded. Aki was smiling brightly. "I'd much rather get a lot of food at once," she said, "then travel faster for the rest of the trip. How far is it to the nearest city?"

He considered for a few moments. "Weather permitting, five or six days. Plus a day to hunt. Otherwise, probably six to eight."

"Then it's settled," a different Daughter said. "Today, we hunt something large. If you approve, samurai?"

He nodded once. "I approve." And so they began into the woods. "We will look for a deer, a buck. They are the males, and are easy to identify by their large antlers. We do not want to kill a female because at this time of year, the females are carrying young." The daughters nodded their understanding, and as they went, Jack told them the names and basic natures of many of the things they saw. It was not entirely unlike instructing a group of very serious, very focussed children. Still, he had to wonder. "How have you not learned this before?"

One of the masked girls, Ari he suspected, answered. "The temple of the Cult of Aku is located in a great, hollow mountain. Until we left on our mission, only Ashi had even looked outside. We learned only what our mother deemed essential for our mission."

Jack's heart ached at the thought of such an empty and limited growing up. "You will learn much. And the city… I cannot describe it in a way you can understand, only caution you not to fight if you can avoid it."

They nodded assent to that, and continued their hunt. Jack instructed them in the basics of tracking, including how to tell a male animal's tracks from a female's, and late in the day, they spotted a buck. Not a large one, but mature. Jack pointed to Adi, then the buck. She took the meaning, and produced her yari. In near-absolute silence, she drew back her arm, and flung the weapon. Though not intended for throwing, it flew straight and true enough to open the buck's throat, and the animal fell over almost instantly. They ran to the dying creature, and Ari ended its suffering with her naginata. Jack thanked the animal's spirit, and they began the slow, messy process of skinning, gutting and cleaning. Aki showed no revulsion, and the masks of the others remained impassive as they cut apart and skinned the carcass. By the time they were done, the sun was very low indeed.

"We can smoke the meat overnight," Jack said. "I will show you," and tied cords to parts of the butchered carcass. "Now, we drape the cords over a branch, then we prepare a fire with many, many leaves in it for smoke. We will take turns sleeping around the fire, since we have no time today to build a shelter." They nodded once more. As he scrubbed the blood from his skin with leaves and snow, he wondered to himself why the girls had no blood at all on them. One of the girls carried off the skin, head and entrails while the others laid the fire, leaving it to him to light.

When she returned, Aki finally let out some suppressed laughter. "So it's just an animal? Nothing special?"

Jack looked over to her, puzzled. "No, not really. Why?"

Still laughing, Aki told him about the first time they'd seen deer. The samurai smiled, then laughed as hard as Aki. Even the other Daughters laughed a bit at their misapprehension, except for Ashi, who merely shook her head in chagrin. They watched while the fire grew, then once it was going well, began to heap more and more leaves over it until it was almost, but not quite, smothered. "By tomorrow morning," Jack said, "the meat will be ready. Again, the smoke and flame will keep animals away, so we can rest safely. We need not sleep on branches tonight." Aki smiled at that, and Jack thought he saw the hint of a smile on the other girls' masks.

The night was not restful for several reasons, not the least being the wind's shifting several times, forcing them to move out of the smoke. But when the sunrise dawned through the branches, the Daughters watched it again, and again felt their spirits rise. After checking that the fire was out, Aji removed the meat from the branches, and passed it to the others, saving out only enough for their morning meal.

Jack listened as the girls worked, feigning sleep. They spoke of the forest, querying each other about the things around them. They discussed the apportioning of meat among them. One of them, most likely Ashi, started to suggest, he suspected, killing him while he slept, but one of the others, he was unsure which, reminded her of their agreement. Interesting, they did have at least some understanding of honour. He rose smoothly to his feet. "Good morning, girls."

Aki bowed to him slightly. "Good morning, samurai. We saved out some of the meat; is it properly ready?" She watched while he took a piece at random, holding it in his teeth then cutting off a bit with his knife, chewing slowly before he smiled and pronounced it good. She smiled back. Another good thing to know. If they did need to kill him at some point, at least the skills he was giving them would ease their travels. Aki settled in beside her sisters, and they enjoyed their meal in silence, savouring the new taste.

"Where is this city?" Ari asked. "How do we find it?"

"It is roughly in that direction," and Jack gestured that way. "The best way to find it is to climb a tree and look for the great road. Which of you is the best climber?"

"I am," Ashi stated immediately, and with varying degrees of hesitation the others nodded.

"Very well," he said. "You will climb that tree, and I will climb this, and I will show you how to recognize the way to the city." Ashi agree, and scaled the trunk in a spider-like manner. No doubt another function of her darksuit, Jack thought as he ascended another. "You see that gap in the trees there?" he asked as she gestured toward it. "That is the road to and from the city. We will go there, and follow it. It will be much faster."

She stared, carefully fixing the direction in her mind. "Understood." As she scuttled back down the tree head-first, Jack was not entirely sure if she put him more in mind of a spider or a squirrel.

"Is the fire out," he asked one of the others, who had donned their masks once more, and made the meat disappear. Ashi too donned hers, leaving only Aki bare-faced. The girl nodded, and after a quick glance, Jack led them in the correct direction, again answering their questions or pointing out details as they went.

Behind her mask, Ashi's face showed confusion. This just didn't make any sense, why was he being so helpful to them, showing them and telling them so much? Didn't that make them less dependent on him, more able to run if they chose to set up a future ambush? Why would he want that? No matter how she turned it over in her mind, she couldn't reconcile the idea of Jack as the embodiment of evil with the actuality of the man who had not only spared but offered to aid seven people who had tried to kill him… just because they were people. Trust what you see and hear, for you know it to be true, Ayano had always said. Good advice, but right now it was giving her headaches. She returned her thoughts to the forest, and the samurai's information.

The day went on, and they refreshed themselves with fallen snow as they went along; as the sun grew low, Jack ordered a halt to build a shelter, again instructing them in what to do and why and how to do it. The tiny hut, more like a glorified lean-to, that resulted was only barely large enough for them all, and after some quiet discussion among themselves, the Daughters managed to agree on the entry order, which put Ari against one side wall, Jack between Aki and Avi, and Ashi against the other side wall. There would be no fire that night, they agreed.

Jack twitched in his sleep. "Now I know you're suicidal!" Mad Jack yelled as they circled each other in a dojo, less than fighting but more than sparring. "Willingly sleeping between two assassins who're sworn to your death and always carry weapons in those shadows they call clothes? Or are you that excited by the thought of being pressed between two lovely young women? And they are lovely, aren't they? Firm, toned, nice curves, and don't tell me you haven't noticed, I know better." "Of course I've noticed. But that's not why I'm doing this! I cannot expect them to trust me if I will not trust them. Also I don't want to freeze, and we hadn't time and materials for a second shelter." "Oh, I'm sure that was the only reason. So pure, so noble… we've had plenty of opportunity, young lovelies more than willing to give us their all, but you have to be so romantic and 'honourable.' Idiot." "It would be wrong to risk siring a fatherless child, and you know that perfectly well." "You're still an idiot. Well, maybe the girls will help ease your frustration," he smirked as he faded.

Ashi heard his moans, and deep in slumber, she too twitched and moaned. "Ashi, why is the Samurai still alive?" her mother demanded, towering above her.  
"We gave him our word, Mother. He had us, we were dead if he so chose, and he spared us."  
"You know he is deceitful! Kill him the first chance you get!"  
"Then we're no better than he is!"  
"He's the samurai!"  
"And if he lives down to his reputation, we'll kill him, but not before!"  
The High Priestess' mask screamed, and she grabbed Aki by the throat, flinging her into a burning pit, jarring her awake with a wail. Beside her, Ami shifted her arm to rest across Ashi's shoulder, and Ashi did the same for her. "We're here for you, sister," Ami said softly, and Ashi broke down, sobbing quietly until she returned to sleep, quietly this time.

It was Adi who woke first, and she slithered out of the shelter in the pre-dawn light. That was enough to rouse her sisters, and Jack, who one by one made their way out of the shelter and stood. The Daughters turned again to face the rising sun, and their spirits rose with it. By unspoken consent, they scattered to attend to their morning business, and came back together at the camp. "Ashi, you know the way. Lead on," Jack said. And Ashi, after a moment to orient herself, started walking, Jack behind and beside her, the others in a rough wedge behind them. As they walked, they occasionally pulled meat from their darksuits, sometimes offering some to Jack, and at a stream, they refreshed themselves. By afternoon, they had reached the road. "Now, let us follow the mountain side. Sadly, we will not likely be able to get a ride, not with so many of us.

"Samurai," Ashi asked, "where can we shelter tonight?"

"We have options. The canopy is the least desirable, but it would work. We might be fortunate enough to find a cave, or even better, a rest stop, a place set up for travellers to rest and shelter, we can build another such shelter as last night's, or, if we are exceptionally fortunate, a truck driver might allow us to ride atop his vehicle, then we would be in the city tonight. But that is not likely at all, so keep a watch out for a good place to build a shelter."

Ashi nodded, and the eight kept walking along. The girls were just as attentive as before, and they were making steady time along the shoulders. Cars went by in both directions, and trucks as well, the girls staring at the streamlined boxes skimming just above the surface. "Is this normal?" Ashi asked in a small voice.

"No. This traffic is relatively light; it was probably much busier earlier." Behind her mask, it couldn't be seen, but he was sure the girl's jaw had fallen open. They kept walking, and as the day grew late, fortune seemed to favour them: a small building with parking spaces at the side of the road on a curve. "Look out," Jack said. "Past the building." The girls did so, and Aki's entire face lit up, eyes wide and lips pursed in unalloyed delight as they saw, for the first time, a city. It wasn't a large city, in fact it was little more than a town, but to the Daughters it was unimaginably huge.

"Samurai, what is that?" Ashi asked in a small voice. "Past the buildings."

Jack frowned in thought, not sure what she was asking, then his expression cleared. "That is the ocean. A vast body of salt water in which live all manner of creatures, including thinking beings. I know, for I have met them," and he told them of the Triceraquins, though without mentioning what Aku had done to them, or why and how he had visited them.

"This is all true?" Ashi asked, voice soft and trembling. He nodded to her. "The wonders of the world are without limit," she breathed softly. The girls simply stood, looking out over the vista, trying to grasp the scale of the city. Finally, they turned away, and began to spar with each other, under Jack's watchful eye.

Interesting, he thought. They were skilled, as he'd known they were, and fast, as he also knew. But in all honesty, their teamwork was pitiful. They were clearly trying to aid and support each other, but with no idea how to do that. Something to work on tomorrow. As the sun sank lower, he cleared his throat. "We should get inside."

The Daughters stood down, and bowed to each other. "Yes," one them agreed. Ashi, he thought. They filed into the building, and looked around. A map of the area, two doors with symbols they didn't recognize, benches, and a round metal basket, the purpose of which was not immediately clear. "Samurai," Aki asked, "what do those mean?" and gestured to the symbols.

Jack reminded himself again that they had literally grown up in a cave. "That one is the sign for 'woman,' the other is the sign for 'man,' and they are constant. Everywhere I have gone, they are the same, and usually indicate places where men and women go to relieve themselves." He watched the girls work that out, then one of them, Aji he thought, stepped in. She came out not long after, following a rushing water sound, and after a brief explanation, the rest availed themselves of the facilities, as did he. That done, Jack lay down on a bench. The girls laid down on the concrete floor without a moment's hesitation. "Is that… comfortable? Why do you not use the benches?"

"Well," Ashi said from behind her mask, "there aren't enough for all of us. And also, until we departed on this mission we had always slept on rock, with perhaps stones on which to rest our heads. We're fine with this." With those words, they laid down near each other in a huddle, not touching but close.

Aji's thoughts were simple as she relaxed, so far as she could relax: It was very nice indeed, doing and learning things that didn't come down to new ways of killing. Ashi was the curious one, it was true, but she was sure all of them were enjoying this new experience. It would come to an end after the samurai dropped his mask, of course, but if they could learn enough first, perhaps it could continue. Travelling the world, seeing new things, meeting new people. They had to do something after they'd killed the samurai, and there would always be a need for warriors to defend the innocent.

Stones for pillows? Jack thought. Sleeping on rock? What kind of monster… oh. Yes. High Priestess of Aku. Of course she would go beyond merely strict. Those girls were very, very wrong in the head, even apart from their devotion to Aku. "You're in a good position to know, aren't you?" he said. "You're not exactly the picture of stability and sanity yourself. If you were, I wouldn't be here, would I? Of course, I like being here, so please, don't change any time soon." "Enough! I have chosen this path, and will follow it as long as needed. These girls are not evil, they are not bounty hunters or mercenaries, they are children who have been misled." "And it doesn't hurt that they're beauties, does it? Hoping for some action later, maybe?" "No. Yes, I know they're attractive. I am not blind. But they are my students, and what you suggest would be entirely inappropriate. Besides, it's rather nice to have travelling companions who can protect themselves at need." "Oh, yes… including against you. They still want you dead, they're only cooperating until you do something they think is evil, and who knows what that might be? They're even crazier than you!" "Then perhaps one of us needs to become less crazy." Mad Jack snarled again and stalked off… somewhere.

The sisters looked to each other, fear clear on Aki's bare face and echoed on the others' masks. At least the last thing he'd said was hopeful. Wasn't it? They slid a little closer together.


	5. Caves and Towers

In the dim light of the cloudy morning, the Daughters were a mass of darkness with various extremities coming out of it. The mass separated into distinct young women who filed outside to see the sunrise, only to be disappointed at the overcast. They filed back in, and made use of the facilities, the samurai coming out of the men's facilities shortly after they were done. "We keep walking?" Aki asked.

"We keep walking," Jack confirmed. "With so many of us, it is most unlikely anyone will have seats enough for all." And he set out along the shoulder, the Daughters following. They were careful to stay off the paved shoulder as they walked, occasionally taking bites of venison, Aki passing bits to Jack.

They paused at several points to drink from tubes protruding out of the cliff face, and Ashi asked him what they were for. After some consideration, he admitted to not knowing. Ashi actually smiled at that, and thanked him. She didn't say it, but she was pleased by his honesty in not pretending to have an answer he did not. "Where do we sleep tonight, samurai?" she asked. "The rest stop was nice."

Nice, he thought. No light, little heat, they'd slept on solid concrete, and they'd considered it nice. Well, they'd be in town by tomorrow. For tonight… "If we are fortunate, we will find a cave in the cliff. If not, we will need to find some trees, or at least bushes, on the meadow, and failing that, we will go onto the plains for what is called a sheepfold, where we sleep in a mass. We will not sleep well in such a huddle, but we will be relatively warm."

"If we have to do that," Ashi said, "you and Aki will be in the centre. The rest of us have our masks, and our darksuits will help us stay warm. Aki has no mask, and you…" She just shrugged. As they continued, the clouds began releasing their load of snow. Wonderful. They trudged on, uncomplaining even as they all huddled into themselves. Silently, the girls prayed their lord had seen fit to provide some sort of shelter, however minimal, but their prayers seemed futile. They kept walking, hoping against hope that they'd find somewhere to stop for the night, each step harder that the one before with the falling snow. As the rotation for first spot brought her near the samurai, she asked the needed question.

"We will build a snow… no. We will make a cave." He pulled the tuning fork knife from his belt, and after examining the cliff face, he tapped it near the ground, then backed away quickly, avoiding the blast zone. "Clear the rubble, I will enlarge the cave," he said. And soon enough, thanks to the Daughters' industry and strength, there was a cave large enough for them all, with a very small entrance and a comfortably large interior. Jack showed them the trick of making grass-logs, and a small fire in the entrance tunnel soon warmed the new cave, most of the smoke going to the outside.

"Thank you, samurai," Aki said to him as she and her sisters curled up together in a pile, facing every which way.

He looked over the huddle, especially Aki's expression. Such strange girls, sometimes as hard as any soldier, other times like a collection of toddlers. His only hope was that their experiences in the city would let them see the truth of the world. After adding a few more grass logs to the fire, Jack too settled in to sleep, pleased both with their shelter, and with the inspiration of using the dagger for an excavating tool.

The night was fairly quiet, though the wind picked up and died down several times, the weird sound disturbing the Daughters' slumber despite the home-like atmosphere. When the morning came, they filed out in hopes of greeting the sunrise, and Aki had to look away from the snowfield quickly, her eyes smarting. One he came out, she asked the samurai what was wrong, and if he knew what to do about it.

"The glare off a snowfield can dazzle, even blind. Your sisters' masks reduce that, but we will need protection. I will show you all what to do," he said, and after checking the traffic, darted across the road where he cut long grasses, weaving them into a pair of open bands. "Put these over your eyes; they will cut down the light so you can see without being dazzled. They're crude, but they will do." He donned his own, and once Aki donned hers, started walking again. "We will reach the town by tonight, I am sure, and they might have some provision for travellers in need. At worst, we can search for an abandoned or unused structure."

As they had before, they took turns breaking trail, keeping up a steady pace as the city finally came into sight once more. At the samurai's urging, they stowed their masks in their darksuits. "We are an unusual sight at best; your masks will only more draw attention than we want," he explained. As they continued in, the Daughters' eyes grew wider and wider. Aki's mouth hung open constantly, and they all looked up, down and all around. The buildings, the lights… the people. All manner of dress, mostly variants on pants and coats, skin in colours they'd never even imagined, even limb count was variable. Aki at least was very nearly hyperventilating by the time he led them off the street and into a structure filled with row on row or brightly coloured packages with symbols and pictures on them. He walked to the, they guessed, man behind the counter. "We are new in town," he said. "We have little money, and need shelter for the night. Do you know where we can find such?"

The counter man thought. "Well… there's the hostel, that's free, or the Dome. I'd go for the hostel if you want to stay peaceful." Jack asked directions to the hostel. He thanked the man, and led the Daughters out.

The hostel was a short walk away, by their standards; Jack knocked at the old-fashioned hinged door of the run-down structure, then opened it. "Good evening," he said to the young man at the counter. "We seek lodgings. These women are sisters, I am their guide."

The young man nodded. "We got rooms. Women's floor is third, men's is second. Four to eight to a room, depending. Three day stay max. You OK with that?" They all nodded, and went upstairs. "Bathrooms and showers at the far end from the stairs."

They climbed the dingy stairs, and entered their respective floors. The Daughters checked several rooms before they found one that seemed unoccupied. Nearly square, with bunks on the walls, it was windowless, and lit only poorly by a single dim orange bulb over the door. The girls smiled, and set to pulling the mattresses from the bunks to make a nest, along with the blankets and pillows.

"We need to talk," Ashi said once the nest was ready. "He's done a good job of hiding it, but the samurai is still the samurai, isn't he?" The others agreed. "He wants us on his side, and he admits it. We need him for now, but we absolutely can't trust him. He wants us to turn on our Lord Father, no matter how nice he is about it. So we're all agreed, once we know enough to get by in the greater world, unless we have reason to believe he really is what he seems, he dies. After the snow is gone sounds good." With varying degrees of enthusiasm, they agreed, then prostrated themselves as they offered a prayer to Aku. The bulb wasn't much, but it would do for a stand-in idol.

The mattresses were wonderfully soft, even better that the forest's soil, and the pillows were even better than roots! Aji sighed deeply. "This is wonderful. All the best parts of the Temple, and none of the bad ones." Her sisters murmured agreement as they arranged themselves into almost a pile.

The floor below, Jack had found a room with two other occupants. He had nodded to them, then slid into his chosen bunk after confirming it was unclaimed. Tomorrow, it would be time to find work.


	6. Gigs and Reels

Jack woke with the sun through his window, and went through his daily limbering up before going down to the counter. The person at the counter was a young woman, and he smiled to her as they exchanged greetings. Jack held off his main question, but chatted about the town in general for a time.

The Daughters woke when the light in their room went out, and they quickly rose, going down the stairs in quick order. There would be no sunrise watching, they could tell from the window at the hallway's end. At the ground floor they stepped out into the lobby to see the samurai chatting with a girl at the counter; he turned to face them, and bowed slightly before wishing them good morning. They returned the bow and greetings with a synchronization verging on the eerie.

Jack turned back to the counter girl. "Where is the hiring hall?" She told him, it wasn't very far, and he thanked her before he led the Daughters there, with a few wrong turns which he took in good humour. "Do you understand money?" he asked along the way, and upon learning, to his complete lack of surprise, that they did not, he explained the concept as simply as he could.

The hall was a simple structure, basically a large open space with benches and chairs and a number of desks with lines of people at them. Jack chose the one that seemed shortest, and greeted the man there politely. "I seek employment for myself, and these young women also seek employment. They are under my care."

The man looked him over. "Pretty fit. Know how to sail?"

He smiled. "I can handle square sails, lateen, and junk rigs, steer by the sun and stars, and have sailed the northern seas in winter."

The man grinned, and passed him a card after making some quick notes on it. "Head for the docks. They're always looking for winter crew, you'll find a berth by noon probably."

Jack stepped aside to let Ashi speak to the desk man. Following his lead, she exchanged pleasantries with the man. "So… what can you do?" he asked, eyes flitting between the septuplets, though to his credit his gaze didn't rest overlong on any particular girl or area.

"We're expert martial artists, and highly proficient," she paused to recall the term, "gymnasts. But we want to earn our living peacefully."

He grinned even wider. "I know just the place. Head to the docks, and when you start seeing fancy streetlights, ask for Mort. He can set you up with a gig."

Jack and the Daughters departed. "That went very well. It can take days or weeks to find work in a strange town. Now, the docks are," and he looked around a moment, "that way. Have you any questions for me?"

"One, samurai," Aki said. "What's a gig?"

"Do you know what entertainment is? Did you have songs or plays in the temple?" he asked.

"Sometimes," Ashi said. "The older women would sometimes act out stories of Aku's glory, and of… " she trailed off, visibly nervous.

"And of my evil, yes?" Jack asked mildly.

"Yes," she sighed in a small, fearful voice.

He groaned deeply. "I am not angry with you. I know how you were raised, and right now, all that matters is that you understand entertainment. A 'gig' is a job providing entertainment."

As they walked, the girls discussed what they might do in their "gig," finally settling on a tentative plan. The docks finally came into sight, and Jack started walking there, after telling the girls his intent, and they began to ask passers-by about "Mort." Along with a few strange looks, they also got the directions they needed, gradually honing in on the door they needed, before which they fell into a four-and-three double rank. Ashi knocked, and they donned their masks while they waited.

The creature that stood behind the sliding door was immense, taller than the samurai and twice as wide, with four arms, and three sets of eyes vertically arranged in the upper centre of its headless torso, or torsoless head. "Step in," it said in a deep voice and a tone that was not a request. They did as told, and the door slid shut. "So you know the score, bed and breakfast if the audience digs ya. What's yer act?" Aki summarized it for him, and he nodded. "Find a place, Mort'll see you when he can. What's the name of your act?"

Adi spoke up quickly. "We're the Daughters of Darkness," and the apartment house for wayward eyeballs gestured with his right hands in what they assumed to be an affirmative manner.

They filed out, and went into the waiting area, with leather-looking couches and a weird floor that looked like some kind of cloth. The variety of species left the girls staring everywhere, and one vaguely snake-like bird-thing hissed at them. "Don't ya know its rude ta stare?"

"Aw, give 'em a break," said a shapely and only notionally clothed near-human woman with three eyes, white hair and greyish-brown skin. "First time in the city?" she asked, and the daughters nodded. "You girls are gonna be real crowd pleasers if you got the chops to match yer looks."

"Chops?" one of the masked girls asked.

"Oh, you are green, ain't'cha? Chops means style, flash, good moves."

Their masks and Aki's face showed their puzzlement. "We'll let the audience decide if we have chops," Aki said, and the girl smiled to her.

"Sounds good ta me," she said, and began to stretch and bend in ways that should not have been possible. The rest of the performers, the ones who had bothered to notice the newcomers, went back to their previous activities. Every few minutes, a performer or group departed or arrived, and soon it was the Daughters' turn.

The door led onto a small stage. "So," said the black-haired thin-featured moustachioed man behind the desk. "Show me what you got."

They immediately began a performance they'd learned in temple, just a quick one. Mort watched them intently, his face twitching. At the end, he burst out laughing, and the girls looked between themselves in bafflement. "You are hired. That's the most brilliant comedy I've ever seen. 'The Benevolent Aku,' oh, that is great! Don't change a thing, the audience is going to love you! And keep that deadpan delivery, that's what really sells it. You got more acts like that?"

"Ah… yes," Aki said quickly. "Quite a few. So when do we start, and where?" He told them where to go, and they filed out quickly. Very quickly.

In the alley, Ashi pulled a kunai from her darksuit and starting pacing up and down. "Laughing at our sacred performance!? I should have cut his heart out right there! How dare he? How dare he?"

Adi put a hand on her shoulder. "It's all right, Ashi. We have work now, and we have a chance to spread the truth of Aku. Most people will laugh, but some will believe, I'm sure. We can still do His work, and learn more of the world so that when the time comes, we can proceed on our own, defending our Lord's creation."

Ashi took several long, slow deep breaths to calm herself. "You're right. We need the work, and if we can spread the truth to even one person, it will be worth the laughter."

Aki smiled to her, to all of them. "Come on, we still have to find the place." They walked quickly to the place Mort had specified, and went to the main door, where they were directed to the performers' entrance at the rear. A man behind a counter took their names, and asked some questions, which they answered as best they could, then directed them upstairs. Aki knocked at the door, and a woman's voice said to enter. The room was small, with a half-circle window high up the wall behind the desk that took up much of the available floor space; the woman herself was at least twice the girls' age, but still very pleasantly curved, with thick, wavy, vibrantly red hair. The effect was somewhat diminished, however, by the eye-hurting mix of colours in her suit. Reds, greens, blues, purples, gold and silver all arranged in the most violent, clashing manner possible, enough to make the Daughters' masks cringe. "Ah… Mort sent us here. Daughters of Darkness."

The woman smiled brightly. "I like that name! And I love your look, simple, clean, and those masks! So elegantly creepy. Mort's never sent me a dud yet, so get down to the makeup room then out to the stage. The hands will help you with your set and the techs will work with you on the lighting and your makeup," she told them, saying the last directly to Aki. More directions followed, which the girls followed, Aki to the makeup room and the others to the stage.

Under the stage level, Aki walked in carefully to the makeup room. "Hello!" a chipper voice chirped. "I'm ViVi, and you are?"

"Ah… I'm Aki."

"Hi Aki!" the voice sang out as its owner emerged from behind a different door. Tall, impossibly curvaceous, deep blue skinned and black haired, Vivi's piled-up coiffure added several inches to her height, as did her heels. "You know anything about stage makeup?" Aki shook her head. "No problem, I'll teach ya. Ev'ry performer oughta know this." And so she began, initiating Aki into the mysteries of base, blush, shadow, lipstick, liner, and blending. "I'm going for a simple look, so that what the audience sees under stage light is what they'd see on the street under normal light." That confused Aki even more than the rest. Stage light? Normal light? There was a difference? Well, they wanted to learn about the greater world, and she was certainly learning… like it or not.

On the stage, a more conventionally dressed man approached the masked girls. "I'm Brett, I'm the stage manager. So, show me some of your act and we'll work out what kind of set and lighting you'll need." They nodded as one, which earned a raised eyebrow, and began one of the temple plays. About two minutes in, he called a halt, then shouted backstage. "Dark mountain backdrop, temple set," then he called toward the back, "Hey, Jace, get down here!" The girls watched as an abstracted mountain range painting lowered itself from the darkness above, and people of various sorts wheeled out wall sections and columns and arches. The stage manager looked around, and ordered a few pieces moved around before pronouncing himself satisfied. The resulting set was on three levels, including the stage, and its columns and arches and lectern with large book suggested a temple without strongly resembling any particular sort.

While that was happening, a regular human came down to the stage from somewhere, the girls weren't sure where, and started talking with the stage manager. Some of the terms were clear, like spot, flood and pin, but didn't quite seem to have their normal meanings, and for the rest, all the sisters really heard was "Babble, jargon, strange words." "Our last sister," said one of the masked girls, "is currently in makeup. She has no mask."

The stage manager slapped his forehead. "Someone go tell Vivi we're using hot orange for this act! Always something," he grumbled, but Aki came on stage quickly enough. "Right," he said as the set turned orange. "Now get started. I'll be in the seats, I'll be giving you feedback." He went into the seats, and the Daughters began. He gave them direction to move more, raise their voices, gesture more broadly, essentially a crash course in how to act for a large house rather than the small venue they knew. The girls took direction well, and he soon declared their performance workable. "You're going on in a couple hours, head for the green room." He told them where it was, and once they were out of the wings, broke down laughing.

The girls looked around. "Why do they call it a green room when it's mostly brown?" Aji asked, in that tone they knew meant she was asking herself, not others. The variety of species here was utterly staggering, some so strange the girls couldn't even tell if they were plants, animals, or something else entirely.

Ami sat down on a beanbag which promptly stood up, and said in a voice like bubbles through water, "I'm not furniture." At least it didn't seem to be mad at her. The beanbag then rolled away and started talking to something that resembled a skeletal crystal tree and sounded like ten angry sopranos screaming softly in unison.

A more nearly human man approached them, with skin red and black, dressed in black boots, loose dark blue pants and a matching vest. "I'm Valentine, I'm a juggler. Who are you, and what's your deal?"

Aki answered. "We call ourselves the Daughters of Darkness, and we put on short religious plays. What's a juggler do?"

He just stared at her for a moment. "What does a… did you grow up in a cave or something?"

"Well, yes. Our temple is very isolated," she admitted, rather sheepishly.

He shook his head, but also grinned. "Must be. I'll show you," and he took three balls from his bag, tossing them from hand to hand in a complicated-looking way she couldn't quite follow. "This is just the raw basics; I juggle up to seven in the act, and other things like clubs and torches."

Aki smiled in delight at the display. "That's wonderful! I hope I can see your act one day."

"Oh, you will, I'm sure," he said with confidence. A woman, human looking at least, walked over to the two, wearing little more than an array of chains and shackles, her hips swaying to a degree the Daughters had never imagined. "Don't hog our new friends, Valentine," she cooed as she draped herself over him. "I'm Sana, chain dancer, and delighted to meet you and your friends. Love the suits, but my art precludes such things." Her face lowered, she looked the girls over with half-lidded eyes. "Maybe later, I'll loan you my key?" Aki's bafflement was clear on her face, and Sana sighed. "It'll wait. Valentine, I'm sure you'd like to use it, wouldn't you?"

He grinned at the dancer, with something in his expression that confused Aki greatly. "Oh, you know it, Sana. Tonight, my place." He firmly caressed her bare thigh, and Aki chose to move off, meet some of the others. She spent most of the time until they went on stage greeting the others, rather artless and awkward, her sisters staying aloof. Fortunately, potential offence was averted by the other performers' understanding of the mask effect. When the stage manager called, they hurried on stage, took their marks, and when the curtains opened, began the play to glorify their Lord.

Jack walked the docks until he saw a boat pulling in, then walked up the gangplank once the crew filed off. He paused at the top, and asked permission to come aboard. Receiving it, he boarded the vessel, and went to the bridge. The captain was the classic "grizzled old salt," who looked Jack over with evident disdain. Jack responded to the look by passing over the card from Mort. The captain's eyebrows went up a bit, and an interrogation began in earnest. By the time it was over, he accepted that yes, Jack could tell the keel from the gunwale and a spinnaker from a mainsail.

"Ye'll be needing a few things, boy, but ye can borrow me extra mac till you c'n buy yer own. Ye get paid after the catch gets sold, so that'll be in four days. We're out for about a day and half straight, and it's hard, dangerous work, but the catch sells almost as soon as we get in, and the pay's great. Now get off my boat and don't come back! For the next two days."

Jack actually laughed at that, and departed. He wanted some privacy, somewhere outside but slightly sheltered, and some wandering took him to a small park, where he sat under a tree in half-lotus, and began to slow his breathing, entering slowly into a state of relaxed concentration. This was looking up; he had peaceful work for a time, and soon would have proper clothing. Weapons did not concern him; they were easily obtained from bounty hunters, legitimate spoils of war. But where to live? Somewhere near the girls, but not exactly with them, he thought. "That's for sure!" Mad Jack snarled. "Travelling with those girls was crazy enough, and I'm in a position to know! But living with them is just begging for a slit throat if one of them lets her control slip." "I did not ask your opinion." "Heh. I'm you and you know it, so yeah, you did ask me. Are you really looking to redeem them? Or just hoping for a hot young harem. Back home you could have them that way, and most cities here, you'd be the envy of every guy around." "Yes, they are attractive; that is only natural, given their training. But again, that is not why I am doing this. They need help, and perhaps helping them will help me as well." "Help you get… " "Enough!" Mad Jack smirked. "You won't say no if they offer, will you?" "They are my students, not my wives, and I will treat them appropriately." "We'll see," he smirked. "And feel," as he walked out of Jack's sight. He signed. Much as he disliked having to admit it, the hallucination hadn't been entirely wrong. They were very lovely and despite the danger they presented, the thought of being with them that way had entered his mind more than once, another reason not to live with them. He did feel he could trust them, to a degree; he just didn't want to push his luck or their control.


	7. Passes, Blocks and Prayers

He eventually decided to find the theatre district, to find out how the girls' day had gone; it was easy enough to track down a set of septuplets in black latex, and in due course, was waiting in the lane behind the theatre for his new charges.

Six masked girls filed out the door a while later, and after spotting Jack, smiled to him, both behind and slightly with their masks. "How are you, samurai?" one of them asked as the seven walked along the lane.

"Gainfully employed as of two days from now," he told them. "Where is Aki?"

"We're told it's very unprofessional to go out in public in theatrical makeup," Aji explained as she and her sisters removed their masks. "So when we're not performing, the rest of us are going out and learning the area."

He smiled to them all. "I am pleased that you're learning the city a little. What is your act? Is it being well-received?"

Ashi frowned. "We've been performing one of the short plays from the Temple. It's very popular, but everyone thinks we're brilliant comedians. I don't understand it at all."

Jack schooled his expression to stillness. "I am sure you will work it out in due course. Perhaps when I am back from my first fishing trip I will be able to see your performance."

"Fishing?" Aji asked.

"You do not… oh. Yes." He sighed, and explained fishing to them. "The captain says I will be paid when we sell the catch, which will be when we dock."

"I want to learn fishing," Avi said. "Perhaps on our day off I can try."

"Perhaps," he said with a smile. "I am searching for lodgings, and was thinking it might be well for us to lodge near to each other. I did agree to be your guide and teacher."

Ashi considered that. "Yes, that would be a good idea." He'd be easier to find when the time came for lessons, or to kill him. "We have a place to stay for now, but we might want to find another. We'll know tomorrow, if you'd like to meet us then? After work?" and she she told him when that would be. He agreed to that, then after they wandered the area for a time, spotting shops and businesses both ordinary and unusual, including one that Jack counted himself fortunate they did not ask about, the girls headed back to the theatre, and Jack resumed his search for lodgings.

The task proved remarkably difficult, but eventually, after explaining his actual situation several times, he was able to find a small, simple apartment that would suit his needs, not overly far from docks or theatre. He wouldn't be able to move in until he could actually pay the first month's rent, but the manager was willing to wait a few days. That was good enough, and Jack began to wander his new neighbourhood.

The sun had long set by the time the girls' day ended, and as Jack led them to his building, he noticed a number of predatory sorts eyeing the girls with varying sorts and degrees of interest as they looked all about, chattered away, and in general acted like the naïve country cousins that in many ways, they were. He just hoped none of them tried anything; he didn't want more blood on the Daughters' hands.

"Hey, girls, you lookin' fine!" said a young man who, with his friends, stepped out in front of the group. "You want we show you a mighty fine time?" They looked puzzled, but no more. "Me an' my boys, we know how treat a girl right, make her really purr, an' we got the place for it, not far neither."

Ashi glanced to Jack, who shook his head slightly. "No. We're already with someone."

He laughed. "That ol' hobo? What he know 'bout makin' you feel good? We got some really great stuff," and he mimed pulling on a pipe and exhaling. "Put you in the mood fo' sure! You be flyin'!"

That got a baffled look, but Aji spoke up now. "That… sounds interesting. Tell us more?"

Jack cleared his throat. "You do not wish to accept their offer."

"Why not?" Aji asked, sounding profoundly puzzled.

"What they wish to do would require you to remove your darksuits."

"Oh… " she said as her and her sisters' expressions darkened. "Leave. Now," she said firmly.

The young man shook his heard. "Are you disrespecting us? No, you do not get to disrespect us on our patch! You comin' with us, girlies, now!"

Ashi spoke, voice low and cold. "No. I don't know exactly what you have in mind, but it doesn't sound fun for us. So leave us alone. Find other girls, ones who want what you want."

He grabbed for her arm, and Jack grabbed his wrist. "The young lady said to leave her alone. Girls," he said without breaking eye contact with the youth, "if they persist, use only hands and feet. No lethal strikes, no broken bones. They do not merit them."

As one, the girls nodded. "Yes, samurai."

The youths' eyes widened. "Th-the samurai? For real?" their leader stuttered. Jack nodded. They started backing up, including the leader once Jack released his wrist, but the leader shook his head. "No way. The samurai don't look like no hobo, and he sure ain't got no latex harem. You bluffin' man, an' you get called. Get him!"

Jack stood aside, and left the fight to the Daughters. In the time it took to take a deep breath, the girls' would-be lovers were on the ground, groaning in pain. "Let us continue," Jack said, and led them off.

"Why didn't you want us to kill them?" one of the girls asked, probably Ashi.

"It would have been an excessive response," he said. "You must live here for some time, and being regarded as casual killers would makes your lives very difficult."

"I… can see that," she said after considerable thought. "But why didn't you fight?"

"Because there will always be foolish young men who want to take what you do not wish to give. It is best that you establish your own reputation for being able to defend yourselves." The girls greeted that with a drawn-out sound of understanding.

They soon arrived at Jack's impending new residence. "I cannot show you my apartment yet, but this is where I will be living for the next few months, and where to be near if you so choose." From there, the eight returned to the hostel, where Jack settled into his bunk, and the Daughters withdrew to their room.

Adi sat down hard on a mattress. "This is starting to sour my stomach. He's the Samurai, the living embodiment of evil! He's the incarnation of depravity, the implacable foe of our Lord and Master, and yet… "

"And yet everything he does, at least when we're around, is the action of a humble man, a good and honest man. A man trained to fight who seeks peace," Aji continued. "I know. And I just can't believe we're that important to him, not after the way he beat us so easily." She looked around in the orange light of the dim bulb, seeing similar upset and distress on her sisters' faces.

"And the plays we put on, everyone laughing… I don't know. I think we're missing something basic," Ashi added. "We can't solve this ourselves. Not yet at least."

Adi looked to the bulb. It still wasn't much, but, well, you used what you had. "We should pray for guidance." The others nodded, and they prostrated themselves before the makeshift altar, praying for guidance from their Lord Father.


	8. The First R

A few days passed; Jack spent his days not on the boat in wandering the city, learning the area, and the girls spent theirs mostly at the theatre, and scouting out its immediate vicinity. Many of the local businesses simply left them baffled, the displays incomprehensible to girls raised entirely in a convent, though others were clear. Clothing stores, grocery stores, those were ones they could grasp. But others were unutterably weird, and the amount of writing everywhere just made their heads hurt.

The night before their first day off, they gathered in a circle in the tiny rooming house bedroom their contact included. "Nothing here makes any sense. We've looked, we've listened, we've prayed for guidance, and none of it adds up," Ashi said with a heavy sigh. "We need to talk to the samurai."

The other girls looked even more downcast than she felt. "I don't like it," Avi grumped. "But… I guess we have to. Who else do we know we can trust? I can't believe I said that. Trust the samurai. I must be losing my mind."

"No, sister," Ari said. "You're not losing your mind. Mother always taught us to use whatever means we had to to fulfill our mission. And right now, the samurai is our best choice." She put her arm around Avi's shoulder. "We'll get through this. We can still accomplish our mission, once we learn more. It's just a delay; think what could have happened if we'd had to face him on his terms, in his territory, with him thinking we were just machines." The others shuddered.

"So," Ashi said with no enthusiasm whatsoever, "it's agreed. Tomorrow, we visit the samurai." The others nodded. With no idol, however makeshift, a candle on the dresser served for an altar as they prostrated themselves before sleep. Tomorrow would be a hard, hard day.

Jack rose with the sun, and began his day with a brief prayer at the little shrine he had purchased, a promise to the spirits of his ancestors that he would not abandon his quest. He had just prepared his breakfast when a knock came at the door; he rose, and opened it to seven familiar faces. His eyes widened in surprise as they bowed as one, and asked permission to enter. "Please, be welcome," he said as he stepped aside and they filed in. "Sit where you wish."

He looked a lot better than before, Ami thought. Black pants and deep green shirt, nicely fitted, were a vast improvement on the tattered trousers they'd reduced him to. "We… have some questions, samurai. And once you're done with breakfast we were hoping you could show us the city, help us understand things a little better." His smile warmed her heart, and she suspected her cheeks. He'd trimmed his beard, she realized, and his hair a bit.

"I would be pleased," he said, and ate his breakfast with good manners, not rushing, but eating a bit more quickly than normal before he cleaned the dishes and put them away. That done, he donned straight black boots and a heavy jacket. "Let us go." And once the girls had filed back out, he locked the door behind him.

Down in the street, they led him along until they reached a store with books and magazines. "We know what writing is, we've seen a book before, in the temple," Aji told him while they looked in the window. "But why are there so many stores selling them? There can't be that many priests in this city, can there?"

"Priests?" Jack asked, his puzzlement clear in voice. "Why priests?"

"Because, according to Mother, reading is a sacred mystery," Adi told him. "Only the most devout can learn its secrets." Jack shook his head, and gave her a suggestion. She frowned, it seemed almost blasphemous, but also simple enough. So she walked in, and spoke with the clerk, then walk back ought, looking almost concussed. "She said the library teaches people to read every week. Surely it would please our Lord if we were to do this?" she asked of Ashi and Aji.

Aji smiled, and rested her hand on Adi's shoulder. "Of course." Ami hugged her from behind for wordless reassurance, and Adi relaxed a bit, then at Ashi's nod of acceptance, relaxed entirely.

Jack watched the scene play out. Their devotion to Aku was disturbing, but learning to read would be a great help to them. And so he led them through the streets toward the library, explaining the purposes of various things they saw, though sometimes he skimped on the details, and counted himself fortunate that they didn't press the issue. Once they reached the library, and determined the the classes in question would start soon, he excused himself, leaving the girls to their own devices, and just in time. He turned into a parking structure, and very quickly dashed down the stairs to its lowest level. "Oh, this is just getting better! The more they know, the more dangerous they are, and you've just turned them on to reading!" "Yes! If they can read, then they can more easily find the truth of the world from disinterested sources." "And they can more easily decide they don't need you! And once they don't need you, they'll come for your blood. You'll have to kill them then!" "Perhaps. But I have fought powerful opponents before without killing them. Remember the bounty hunter ambush." "I remember they were lucky to survive! But these girls have a holy mission, even if you put them in the hospital they'll come back! They won't give up until you're dead!" "Or they see the truth, which is still my hope." Then you're an even bigger fool than I already thought!" "Knowledge is the path to truth, and soon they will have greater access to knowledge. It will have to do." And he kicked in a car door before stalking off behind a pillar. Jack just kept reminding himself that the damage was not real.

Hours later, as he was preparing dinner, another knock came, and he again opened his doors to the Daughters. Aji was all but turning handsprings, she was so excited. "I can read!" she announced in delight. "It's so easy!" and she pulled a small book from her darksuit. "I found this, it's poetry. May I read you some?" Jack nodded. "Wild grasses spread o'er ancient plain;/With spring and fall they come and go./Even fire can't burn them up; again/They rise when vernal breezes blow." There were momentary hesitations, but for her first day reading, it was quite a good reading.

"Aji's the best, but we've all made progress," Ashi put in. "I can't imagine why Mother never taught us something so simple."

"I have an idea," he said. "Do you wish to hear it?" Ashi nodded, eyes narrowed. "I think your mother want to control you as completely as she could. It is why you were not taught to read: if you were not able to read, you could not read things that might contradict her teachings." Ashi looked away and down, frowning, but not arguing. It made too much sense. "You have made a fine start," he said in a brighter tone. "With the library and the bookstores, you will be able to learn many things, and enjoy stories and tales from all times and all lands. Many traditions teach that a warrior should also be a scholar, a poet, a philosopher, or all of these. I do not live up to the ideal, but I try."

"Thank you, samurai," Ashi said to him, and her sisters chorused their thanks as well. "We'll leave you to your meal; we just thought you'd like to know." They bowed, and departed quickly. On the way to their own residence, they sounded out street signs, shop names, whatever caught their eye. All those weird marks actually meant things! Even when the girls had no idea what the things were, it wasn't usually too hard to work out. Though why there were so many different words for stores that sold the same thing was beyond them, and the extreme commonality of stores selling "coffee," whatever that was, was also rather baffling. And the titles on many magazines were just strange, especially the ones with fighting men on them. Ashi looked to Aji as she passed one particular store. "Is it just me, or did those make more sense when we couldn't read?"

"It's not just you," Aji assured her. "City people are weird." Once they were back in their tiny bedroom, they produced their dinner from their darksuits, then after disposing of the trash, laid down in a loose huddle.

"I really like this," Ami said, her head on Ari's calf. "I know, I say that all the time, but it's so nice, being close and warm like this, I have to wonder why Mother was always so upset when we did it."

Ari shrugged, her head resting on Aki's thighs, her and Aji's arms around each other's shoulders. "I have no idea. I'm… well, I'm starting to think that maybe Mother didn't care much about us."

"How can you say that?" Adi demanded, practically spitting the words.

"Well, how many times in training did we come within a hair's breadth of being crippled or killed? How many times did Mother ever actually comfort us when we were hurt?"

Avi sighed, stroking Aki's hair in her lap. "Her last words before we left were 'one purpose, for which you were born: to kill the samurai!' How well did that go? Would Mother have even mourned our passing?"

Their faces fell as the question hung in the air, until they disentangled themselves and Adi lit the two candles they now used as their altar, though there was still no idol. Nonetheless, they prostrated themselves before the altar and prayed for their Lord's guidance long into the night.


	9. Desperate Prayers

Came the morning, the girls looked to each other, all of them on the verge of tears. But there was breakfast to get, and performances to give, and the play at least would surely raise their spirits, and the chatter in the green room. In the makeup chair, Aki tried to focus on her upcoming performance, on the emotions she needed to convey. The others had their masks, but she had no such aid; still, her budding professionalism demanded she give the audience her best. So she went to Sana for advice. "I don't know what to do… I don't have any idea what to… Sana, I'm just miserable right now. How can I give a good performance when I'm not even sure I believe what I'm saying?"

The chain dancer listened, nodding at the girl's words, then smiled in sympathy and rested a hand on her shoulder. "It's fine. We all have days like that, and what you do is to put on the right expression, use the right tone, and do your best. The audience will accept that, they don't expect us to sincerely believe what we say, just to look like we do. Especially with the kind of deadpan comedy you girls do," she added with a grin. "So go on, you'll do fine. Maybe take a few minutes, some long, deep breaths to calm yourself."

Aki smiled to her, and hugged her lightly. "Thank you, Sana," she said, and went to share the advice with her sisters before they went on, trying to hide her disturbance at their plays being taken for comedy of any sort.

Sana shook her head once Aki wasn't looking her way. Those girls were just weird. Ah, well. So long as they got seats in the seats, good enough.

In a circle, the Daughters discussed the advice and how to actually implement it. "I know, it feels… almost sinful to do this when we're not sure can do it sincerely," Adi said. "But we need to do this anyway. We need the pay, and need to spread the word of our Lord, and it might even help us steady ourselves, and we really need that. He will not abandon us unless we abandon Him." Without altar or idol, unable even to prostrate themselves properly, Adi led them in a brief, soft, awkward prayer to their Lord, asking that He forgive and strengthen them. It would be their curtain time soon.

By day's end, the performances had actually helped raise their spirits, and back in their little bedroom, Aji produced several books from her darksuit. "It's clear we need to know more about the samurai if we're going to complete our mission, so I got these from the library." She passed them around, and the others looked at the titles. _Secrets of the Samurai, Samurai Tales, Steel and Spirit, Out of the Past, Of Dogs and Swordsmen, The Unclouded Mind_ , and _The Code of the Samurai_. One by one, each girls chose a work, leaving Secrets, the largest by far, to Aji. Settled comfortably on the bare wood floor, they began to read, and slowly, their brows slanted up and their mouths turned down. One by one, they slid the books into their suits, then turned to their makeshift altar and began to pray for guidance and strength, but despite their desperate fervour, by the time they needed to sleep, their Lord had sent no comfort.

The next day, Aji brought back different books: _Master of Darkness, Ages of Aku, Deliverer of Darkness, Lord of Eternal Darkness, Dawn Delayed, Shogun of Night_ and _A Sign of Darkness Dawning_. They stowed those books even more quickly than the others, and wept bitter tears as they again prayed and begged for guidance and strength from their Master and Lord, and again went unanswered.

Another day came and went, and though their performances helped greatly, they were still sore at heart. Avi found a stone too massive to stow in the darksuit, and took it back to their room to carve into an idol, working slowly and carefully through the night. Aji brought home the next day some black, green and white paints; they cut their cheeks slightly and mixed the blood with the black paint before applying it. They invoked their Lord's blessing upon the carved likeness, and set wax beads in the bowl with a wick, and placed again two small candles beside it. Adi lit all three, intoning a prayer as she did, then they turned off the lights, and the Daughters spent many hours in prayer, hoping that a proper idol would gain their Lord's favour.


	10. Of Gods and Big Fishes

Two more long days came and went, the girls spending their time not at work or exploring in each other's arms or in prayer. Then another day off came. After they had enjoyed their breakfast, Ashi turned to the others. "This isn't helping, maybe if we go do something else we'll feel better. Something that will help us no matter what we decide to do. Perhaps we should go to the docks, learn how to catch fish."

Adi looked offended briefly, but acquiesced, and the sisters made their way to the docks. The very quiet docks. The girls looked around, walking slowly, and finally decided to talk to the man behind the bar of a tavern. That was the surest sign that something was amiss: the customers didn't even glance at them. "What's wrong," Ami asked. "Why is everyone so sad?"

The barkeep looked up from his polishing. "Gulper," he said, and clearly considered that answer to be enough.

"And what's a gulper?" Aji asked. "We grew up in the mountains. We don't know much about sea life."

The heavyset man looked at them for a long moment, then nodded. "A gulper's a gigantic fish, bigger than anything else in the seas, and it eats everything. Big, small, anything. We can't fish while it's around 'cause it'll eat the boats, or at least the nets, and when it's gone, there's nothing left to catch. This whole town's going to die without the fish, and it'll be years before they're back."

The girls' faces had gone from baffled, to shocked, to appalled, and finally to hard, stony determination. They put on their masks, and walked outside, moving once more in perfect unison as they again took up their sacred mission. Aki led the flying wedge to a fisherman sitting on a crate. "Where is your leader," she asked without preamble, and he answered in a voice stripped of feeling. They found the leader easily enough, and Aki again spoke for them. "We know about the gulper. Can you take us to it?"

The man laughed a bitter laugh. "You little girls plan to kill it?" he asked, then stared as they produced their weapons from their darksuits.

"Yes," was Aki's simple answer. "If you take us to it, we will kill it. Tell me, is a gulper valuable?" He nodded slowly, and named a very high sum. Aki smiled. "After we kill it, can you and the others get it to land?" He said they could. "Then it's settled. Once it's landed, we'll take a hundredth of its worth, each."

That got a belly laugh. "You little girls really think you can kill that?" Avi waked over to the rail of the dock, and with one hand, swung her kanabo through the top rail, the second rail and into the planking and the side rail that supported it. The captain stared, then looked back to the girls. "Maybe you can. All right, I'll take you out and bring you back if the gulper doesn't get you. If it does, I'll tell your family what happened."

"Thank you," Aki told him sincerely. "You might already know the man to tell, he's a recently hired hand on a fishing boat. Black beard, long black hair." The captain confirmed that he knew the man. "Thank you. He's the closest thing we have here to family."

After further discussion with the captain, the girls went up to the bow, and began to discuss tactics, careful to keep out the crew's way once the captain called them aboard. With the sails set, they donned their masks and scuttled up the masts, holding firmly to the mastheads, watching for any sign of the gulper - not that they knew what to look for. In truth, they were depending entirely on the crew unless the creature actually surfaced, and didn't like that at all. But they had their mission, and would carry it out.

The watch stretched on and on, the combination of tedium and tension wearing on them as they watched the disconcerting, ever-changing surface. They were not unfamiliar with water, but an underground lake and the wild ocean were not at all the same thing. So they watched, and hoped they could… "Sign off the port bow!" a lookout cried. Looking all about, Aki pointed to a line of v-shaped ripples, and cried out "There!"

"Go!" Ashi barked and the Daughters sprang from the masts, entering the water in perfect swan dives. The salt water stung their eyes, but they could see enough, and the gulper was hard to miss. They swam toward the creature, bodies undulating like dolphins, and each girl felt her guts turn cold. Huge was too weak a word. Gigantic was inadequate, Cyclopean barely a start, the great fish seemed of endless size, its mouth alone taller that the idol before which they had worshipped for most of their lives, its body simply too huge to grasp. They surfaced, breaching just long enough to snatch a breath then continuing after the enormous creature, closing on its vast, slow bulk, hardly larger to the creature than small spiders were to men. Even Ami felt her courage waver, but she would not fail her Lord or her sisters.

Suddenly, something started tossing them, pushing them away, forcing them to fight harder, breach more often, struggle toward the gulper. Was the water moving somehow? Did the gulper have some magic? It didn't matter. Ashi pulled a bow from her darksuit, and fired on the gulper, the line-carrying arrow would work to tether them to the creature. It flew straight and true, and did not pierce the scale it struck. The creature didn't even notice, just continued to consume whatever came before its enormous maw. The girls surfaced quickly, and Ashi returned the bow and arrow to her darksuit. "New tactic," Ashi said. "Dive straight down, then all-fours along that thing. We can't reach its skull by swimming." The others nodded, and did as instructed, the gulper not noticing or caring so far as they could tell. Slowly, they crawled up the monstrous fish's back, lungs burning as they drew near their goal, only to have to breach and breathe once more, losing some of the distance they had gained. Another crawl, another breach, twice more, and they had gained the spot they sought. Avi grabbed an immense scale, and pulled with all her might, braced against other scales, the force of the current upon her working this time in her favour. Sinews strained, bones creaked and muscles screamed in protest, but she would not relent! The Daughters of Aku did not relent! Then two more were at her side, probably Ashi and Adi, pulling hard at the scale, the size and thickness of a kite shield. By main force, they tore it loose, and the gulper thrashed in sudden pain, flinging them off and scattering them in sudden turbulence, forcing them to breach again before resuming their attack. Ashi drove her line-carrying arrow into the creature's flesh, and the girls clung to the line for their lives when the gulper thrashed again. Twice more, they pulled scales loose, and three times were forced to breach. But with an anchor, and an opening, the real work began. Aji sliced deep with her butterfly swords, cutting through muscle as blood welled out of the monster fish, each slice bought with pain and precious air; she breached once more, and resumed her work, but now a true danger appeared.

The gulper's immense size had worked against it, for it had no way to make quick turns or tight. But the blood was starting to draw smaller fish, ones that could turn and move to target the Daughters, and now the others had to protect her, taking turns to breach. Their weapons were largely useless against the water's heavy resistance, only Aki, Ari and Adi, with their katana, naginata and yari could fight effectively. So Ashi, Ami and Avi served as anchors, letting the others move more freely by using them as fighting platforms, each pair rising along the line as needed, keeping the hungry fish at bay with thrusts of their weapons while Aji slowly carved down toward the spine, breaching frequently. The many-toothed fish were growing bolder, but she managed to signal when she reached the spine, and quickly traded with Ari, who drove her naginata deep into the creature, cutting through the disc between the vertebrae, then sawing desperately up and down, breaching as seldom as she dared. The creature thrashed harder, more random and spasmodic as she cut critical nerve trunks. Nearly through, nearly through. Black threads started to creep in at the edges of her vision, and she knew she'd have to breach again before she could finish the job. She had just enough for one more slice, and to her delight, the texture of resistance changed and she kicked hard for the surface before diving again to help her sisters keep off the hungry fish. Ashi understood at once what had happened, and swam to the surface, producing and firing the Very pistol the captain had loaned her. A green smoke column rose and fell, marking their location and that they were all alive. The others breached the surface, but there were still the hungry fish to contend with. At least on the surface, they could swing weapons, and Avi crushed a skull with her kanabo, drawing the fish to the new carcass while the girls swam clear.

The ship reached them quickly, but not quickly enough for the girls' comfort, and they practically flew up the rope ladder and dashed to the mess, the crew cheering them in many languages. They found hot drinks pressed into their hands the moment they stowed their masks, and warm blankets around their shoulders, and an unfamiliar warmth filling their spirits, both like and unlike the warmth they felt when they lay together. After they took a while to warm themselves, they went back up on deck, in time to see every single fishing vessel in the harbour converging on them. Once warmed up enough, the sisters returned to the mastheads, and watched with fascination as the flotilla harpooned the carcass, and with some confusion and a few collisions, managed to all get moving in the same direction. The progress was slow, but steady, and at long last, the Titan corpse was at the shoreline. They scuttled back down the masts, greeted again with cheers and swept into a nearby pub, where they were plied with food and drink. Aki took the first swallow of beer, and spat it right back out. The fishermen started to grumble, and the mood to sour. "Please, please, I meant no offence! We were raised in a temple, we've never had this before! Only fruit and nuts and meat and water, we've never even had fish until just now!" That changed the mood to confusion, then good natured laughter won out, and they were again being plied with food and drink, of many interesting sorts, and being told what they were getting. They let themselves be swept away by the camaraderie and admiration, and each told her tale of the gulper's death. As they neared repletion, a distinctive rumbling hum reached their ears, and the girls started working their way out of the pub, emerging in time to see a huge ground vehicle pull up. Long and low, glossy back with reflective windows, it was clearly meant to impress and intimidate. They were impressed, especially when four more such arrived, somewhat smaller.

A very large man in a deep blue suit with thin white stripes emerged from the rear of the vehicle, followed by a much, much smaller man, smaller even than the Daughters, in a similar black suit. The small man looked at the gulper's corpse. "Nice. Great work, I'll take it."

The leader of the fishermen, as the girls had been told he was, stepped up to the little man. "As soon as we agree on a price."

The little man laughed without mirth. "Weren't you listening?" He snapped his fingers, and a dozen more large men emerged from the other vehicles, holding what the girls immediately determined to be weapons even if the specifics were unclear to them. "I said I'll take it. Now all you stand back and my boys don't have to hurt you."

Ashi stepped forward. "No. You can have it, after you pay a fair price for it. It's our gulper, and we're not turning it over to you for nothing."

The big men chuckled, and the little one laughed outright. "Right, I'm taking orders from a teenage rubber slut. Who are you, girlie, the union rep for the local hookers?" The heavies laughed again.

Ashi didn't know what most of what he'd said meant, but the gist was clear enough. She produced her kusarigama, and the others took the cue and produced their own weapons. "We're the ones who killed the gulper," she told him, voice flat and face blank as her mask. The fishermen confirmed the claim with a ragged chorus.

The little man didn't look impressed. "Gulpers don't have guns. Either turn the fish over, or…"

Aji crossed her butterfly swords over his throat from behind, her movement verging on teleportation. "Or this one needs a new throat. So, what's it going to be? An honest deal, or a dead leader?" The boss and his goons knew a killer's voice when they heard it, and the little man raised his hands. "Stand down, boys. Looks like we're ending this with a chequebook." Once the goons lowered their guns, Aji lowered her swords. After some extremely tense negotiations, the senior captain and the mob boss came to an agreement, and the goons drove off. Once the boss was back in his limo, his personal guard drew his pistol, and before he could fire, it hit the ground courtesy of Aki's kunai. The heavy withdrew, and once the cars were well gone, another round of cheers went up.

Ashi turned to the senior captain, "I have to ask: where did that gulper come from?"

He shook his head. "You must have grown up in a temple. Aku, of course. Pulled from the Pit of Hate and turned loose to scour the seas."

The Daughters' eyes grew wide, and their faces pale. "We need to go." And Ashi and her sisters fled, gaining the rooftops as soon and quick as they could, leaving a lot of very confused people behind.


	11. Tea and Contrition

In their bedroom, after making a needed stop for supplies, Adi prepared the altar and idol, polishing and cleaning it, adding wax beads to the bowl. One by one, the sisters pricked their cheeks and dripped blood among the beads, then Adi lit the candles, and the seven prostrated themselves, praying fervently for forgiveness and guidance. The shadows in the room grew long, the light from the sun was gone, the little candles beside the altar went out, the fire in the bowl died, and nothing. Not a whisper. No forgiveness, no inspiration, no fury, nothing. The girls stood, and her sisters turned to Ashi. The question needed no asking. "We go to see the samurai," she said, face streaked with tears, and they hurried to his residence as quickly as they could.

Jack had just finished cleaning up after his supper when a knock came. He opened the door, and stepped back quickly, eyes wide and mouth open in utter surprise at the Daughters' tear-streaked, heartsick faces. "Please, come in. You need to speak with me?" he asked as they entered. In perfect unison, they took a formation of three and four, and slowly, by their standards and his, removed their weapons from their darksuits, went to their knees and placed the weapons before them, then kowtowed and crossed their wrists behind their back.

"Oh, Samurai," said Ashi without raising her face, "we apologize most humbly for the wrongs we have done you, for the evil we have thought of you, for our folly in worshipping the false god Aku." Wracking sobs tore her voice, and the others could not keep silent as they too wept and sobbed.

For several long moments, Jack simply stared, mouth agape, at the incomprehensible sight. "Ah… you are forgiven. Please, rise. Let me show you something that might help you to calm yourselves." They straightened, but made no move to reclaim their weapons. "This is called the cha-no-yu. It is an ancient ritual, and I will be pleased to teach it to you."

The girls were well acquainted with rituals that had to be performed just so, and Jack's clear, patient instruction helped greatly in their learning the basics of the tea ceremony: the bringing in of the implements, their purification, the making of the tea, the proper drinking of the tea, the cleaning of the implements, and the taking out of the implements. As Jack performed the initial steps of the ceremony, the girls one by one took the odd little buns he indicated were for them, and one by one their eyes widened as they smiled in startled delight. "What are these wonderful little things?" Ashi asked once her mouth was clear.

He smiled gently. "They are called 'confections,'" he told them. "There are many kinds; these ones are called 'two bite brownies,' but it is perfectly acceptable to eat them in single bites, as you did."

She bowed slightly. "Thank you, samurai," and when the time came, took her tea with genuine appreciation, and evident pleasure; in turn, each of her sisters did the same, thanking their hosts most sincerely.

How empty had their life been, he wondered, but did not ask. Once the implements for the ceremony were cleared away, he sat back at the table. "If you wish to say, what has prompted this need for contrition?"

They all looked down, away from him and largely each other. Ami finally spoke up. "It was… ah… we were down at the docks, thinking we might learn to fish," and she told the story of the gulper.

As she did, with the others putting in their own additions as needed, Jack's eyes grew wide, and his mouth fell open. "Truly, you slew one of Aku's great monsters? I have never heard of such a thing! I have slain monsters, to be sure, but never such a one as that!"

Ashi looked up, and sounding positively sheepish answered, "Well, we are seven… and we have trained all our lives… "

"No, no, I do not doubt you!" he said quickly. "I am amazed. You are more capable than I had thought, and I already thought you very capable!"

The sisters blushed brightly, Ami especially. "Thank you, samurai."

"You are very welcome. And I am pleased you did not need to shed the boss' blood to get a fair settlement."

Aji smiled. "So was I. We have killed before, but are not eager to do so again."

Well, that was an improvement. "As it should be. On another matter, what will you do with the money from the killing of the gulper?"

"We haven't even thought about it," Ashi admitted. "We were more worried about other things. Like praying for forgiveness."

Jack didn't press. "I understand. If you wish to spend your money wisely, I advise you to first decide what you wish to do come spring. I will be resuming my travels."

"May we travel with you?" Aki asked almost instantly. "We were taught that we had to protect the beauty and wonder of the world, and that is one teaching we intend to follow," she added, smiling broadly. Her sisters slowly joined her in that.

"Perhaps," he said. "We will see when the trees bud again."

The sisters looked briefly downcast, but schooled their expressions to stillness. "The hour grows late, and we both have work tomorrow, do we not?" Ashi asked.

"Indeed," Jack agreed. "I look forward to your next visit. Or would you rather I visited you?"

Ami looked horribly embarrassed. "We have nothing to offer you, samurai. Our room is barely more than a place to sleep."

"I understand," he said gently. "You may visit here whenever I am here," he told them. "I wish you all good night," and he rose to open the door.

The Daughters filed out, and Ari, the last to leave, thanked him for his hospitality. They returned quickly to their little room, quickly arranging themselves in the loose pile they'd come to favour. "We must rid ourselves of the idol," Ari said. "It no longer has any place in our lives." The others made sounds of agreement, though Adi's agreement sounded noticeably reluctant. The six slid about until Adi was in Ari's arms, laying half atop her, the others either beside or partially atop them both. "It's hard, Adi. We all understand," Ari said into the quiet darkness, then softly kissed her sister's cheek. "We'll get rid of the idol in the morning, right? During sunrise if we can."

Adi sighed heavily. "You're right, Ari. We have to do this soon, or… " She broke down sobbing, for the second time that day, or in nearly fifteen years, and that finally broke the dam for all of them. They all cried, cried with the pain of a lifetime coming out at long, long last while they clung to each other with all their might.

"You're going even more mad!" Mad Jack yelled. "Are you actually thinking about travelling with those assassins?" "Yes, I am. If, by the time the trees are back in bud I believe their change of heart is sincere. We both know that they're completely transparent. Compare Ashi when we first met to Ashi during the ceremony. They hardly seem the same girl." "They're still assassins, on a holy mission for their Lord! Do you actually think they'd renounce him so easily, just because they killed a big fish?" "No, because they learned where the fish came from. I do not think it was easy for them." "They're faking it! Look how well they've taken to performing, do you believe they'd hesitate to put on an act for you?" "No, but we've seen their act. All they're doing is putting on plays they were raised with, plays they believed in. I think they're sincere, for now, but we will see what happens between now and then." Mad Jack growled, and stomped off somewhere.


	12. Accessories for Assassins

The Daughters woke before dawn, and slowly, reluctantly, disentangled themselves. Adi went to their idol, and picked up the lighter. A pull on its trigger, and the little flame sprang to life. She moved it toward the wick in the bowl, hand trembling, then dropped the lighter with a small cry, a whimper of pure pain. Ami stepped up and held her lightly from behind, while Avi picked up the idol itself. After the others filed out the door, Adi and Ami brought up the rear of the procession. For procession it was, with Avi carrying the idol in the centre of their group, her sisters in symmetrical formation before, behind and beside her, all seven stepping in unison to shame a military drill show. People lined up behind them, murmuring questions to each other, but not the grim-faced girls. Finally, they reached their destination: a little park with stone picnic tables, on one of which Avi placed the idol just as the sun edged up over the horizon. She removed her kanabo from her darksuit, and Adi jumped smoothly up to the table's top, standing behind the idol. "Let us pay homage to Aku as he deserves!" she called out, the crowd's curiosity turning to confusion. "Let us us offer proper tribute to the Master of Masters, Deliver of Darkness, Shogun of Sorrows, Tyrant over Tyrants, He Who Shapes the World!" At each title, Avi struck a blow to the idol, her heavy club cracking and breaking the stone. "And let mine," Adi concluded as she reached out her hand to Avi, taking hold of the club, "be the final tribute!" she yelled as she reversed the club, stepped back, and swung down with all her might, reducing the statue's base to rubble with a mighty, wordless shout. She returned the kanabo to her sister, who vanished it once more, then leapt down from the table. The girls turned to face the now cheering crowd, and bowed to them, their hearts warmed by the enthusiastic approval. They walked away steadily, and answered the questions put to them as best they could while heading for the theatre and the breakfast their contract included.

"Aki, do you want to keep putting on the plays?" Ashi asked as they walked.

She considered, then answered. "Yes. Everyone already thinks they're comedy, and now we know why. And you know, somehow, I don't mind mocking him."

Adi nodded slowly, reluctantly. "I know what you mean. But it's still so…"

She didn't quite break down before Ami put an arm around her shoulders. "It's all right. You've always been the strongest in faith of us, of course it's the hardest on you. Just remember: you're not alone. We're all here for you, sister."

Adi looked to the others, seeing only gentle smiles, even from the so-serious Ari. She smiled back, despite her heartache, and whispered, "Thank you." Even so, she was very glad she'd be wearing a mask on stage.

The day went by fairly normally, with chatter and snacks in the green room, their performances well-received, and after work, dinner from various street vendors, eaten as they returned to their tiny room to read the books Aji had found so very long ago. It was all so different from all they'd been taught, yet fit so well with everything they'd seen, everything they'd experienced. Had their mother known all of this? How could she have? But how could she have not? Adi set her book down first, Ari last, but they could only take in so much in an evening, and they hit that limit very soon. They looked to each other, and Ashi held her hand out. One by one, six more dark-clad hands reached out, touching and overlapping. "Let us renew our purpose. Not to kill the samurai, but the purpose behind that: to protect the beauty and wonders of the world against all who would threaten and destroy them." The others nodded in agreement.

"To fight against injustice," Aki said.

"Oppression," Adi added. One by one, each girl added to the pledge: Needless destruction, pointless cruelty, greed, hatred and untruth.

"Against all these things, and whatever other evil we may find in our travels, we pledge our strengths, our skills, our hearts and minds," Ashi said with firm conviction. "No longer are we the Daughters of Aku, servants of the ultimate evil. Now we are the foes of evil in every form: the Daughters of Darkness!" The girls grinned wide, chorused their new name, and swept their hands high. The books would wait. "First, we need to learn about modern weapons," Ashi said once the elevated mood dropped just a bit. "We don't even know what those things the samurai used to catch us were! And what were those weapons the boss' fighters had? What could they have done? So it's time to start learning. There must be a place to buy weapons." The others nodded, and the self-rechristened Daughters of Darkness filed out of their room.

The streetlamps were few and the moon hidden, but after growing up in caverns lit by torches, the Daughters found the light eminently sufficient. They quickly took to the rooftops, then dropped down into an alley where they neared a commercial district that might serve their needs. Of course, they drew a grew deal of attention once they exited the alley, but this time, the attention was different. No catcalls and wolf whistles, or crude propositions they didn't even understand, but smiles, gestures that seemed approving, compliments, thanks for their actions, and even offers to buy them food or drink. Bewildered but pleased, they continued walking, and at last Ami thought to ask one woman (who seemed far too lightly dressed for the weather) where they could go to find the weapons they sought. She smiled brightly, and gave them directions. They thanked her, and now able to read the street signs, found the store easily. It was narrow, but the building was very deep, much deeper than the store.

Aki stepped up to the man behind the counter. "Good evening," she said. "We're not really sure what we're looking for here, perhaps you could help us?"

He smiled, without the odd twist they'd seen so often on men's faces when addressing them. "I can try. Obviously you're here for guns, but what applications do you have in mind? Close up, long range, holdout? How much stopping power do you need? And if you're planning to travel, will you be able to get more ammo?"

"Ammo?" Aki asked. "I don't know the word."

He gave her an odd look. "Ammunition," and Aki looked terribly sheepish.

"Well… we'll probably be spending a lot of time in the wilderness, away form anywhere we can get more ammo, so that's definitely something we need to think about. And we want quiet weapons."

The dealer thought. The girls were pretty small, better stick to the light stuff. "Let's see… " He unlocked a case of pistols, taking out a white, glossy gun with a bright orange stripe down the side. "This is the Helmson and McKendrick BE-53702 neuronic frequency stun gun. Guaranteed to take down any vertebrate human-sized or smaller in one shot. I don't buy it; I think two shots. Bypasses most armours. Seven shots in the cell, takes about six hours to recharge, depending on the power source. Very good non-lethal weapon."

Ami picked it up. "It's very light, it feels a bit flimsy."

The dealer grinned. "You're right. But the shell is a boron-matrix composite, you'd need a cold chisel to crack it. It'll hold up. And if it gets dirty, a little dish soap and a rag will have it looking new in a minute."

She looked to Ashi, expression questioning. The other nodded. Ami put it down. "I'll take it, and three cells. How do I charge them?"

"With a charger. There's all kinds, but maybe we should see what your sisters get before I give advice that way."

They nodded as one, and Adi spoke up. "I want something more lethal. Something that could kill a large animal, or large person. Preferably not too heavy." She was thinking in terms of someone along the lines of the many-eyed doorman.

He nodded again. "Well, there's a few options. I've got laser weapons, plasma guns, electrolasers, all kinds of slug throwers. But if you're away from civilization a lot, I'm guessing you'll want an energy weapon. Good choice might be an electrolaser: pull the trigger, low-powered laser ionizes a path through the air, then an electrical discharge follows the path. Instant lightning, even if it doesn't kill it's pretty much sure to at least impair. This one's the DeLameter EES-606. Not too great against most armours, to be honest, but it's great for unarmoured opponents. Six shots a cell, takes about ten hours to recharge." He puled a streamlined, glossy black weapon from its display case and laid it on the table, letting her pick it up. "Again, it's a pretty light weapon, but it's made of seriously tough stuff."

She picked it up, running her hand over it in a decidedly possessive way. "I like it. I'll want four cells." She set it down, and turned to the sister with her bangs cut in an arc. "Aji, what about you?"

She looked over the selection. "We'll want a high degree of tactical flexibility, and we need quiet weapons. So I'll want something different from the electrolaser and stun gun. Something good against armoured targets."

The dealer considered, and pulled out a long matte-grey weapon with a fluted barrel. "You might want this, then. Reynolds MC-23 laser carbine. Melts most armours, inflicts really messy injuries on living things. Six shots a cell, about five or six hours to recharge." He set it down, and looked around the store. "For quiet… that's about all I have. The rest are mostly slugthrower types, chemically propelled and loud. Now, you're going to want a charger. With three different guns, and I'm thinking ten cells total, you'll want a four-barrel with eight extra slots. Solar panels, heat exchanger, and a wall plug. Maybe a vehicle adaptor. It needs to be rugged, am I right?" A nod in unison. Man, that was creepy. "Right. I have just the thing. This is just what you need: The Elphinstone 4DX," and he brought up an image on what looked like a pane of framed glass. The girls' eyes widened at the sight. "The real prestige one is the Fesdam 22C, but honestly, you're just paying extra for the name. It's for people who want to impress their friends, and I don't think you much care about that."

"Function matters more," Ashi agreed. "We'll take them. And three extra cells for the… carbine. We'll need somewhere to practice with them, you know such a place." He conceded that, and told them where to find a range. "And where we can find less sophisticated weapons? I use a bow." He grinned. These girls were the kind of customers he liked: they knew roughly what they were looking for, and knew when they'd found it. "Those are just display models, I'll put them back and get you the real ones." He did so, disappearing briefly into the back and coming back out with three guns in boxes and three sets of cells. "Don't worry about putting the wrong cell in the wrong gun; they'll only fit the right guns. Now I just need to get the charger." Another short trip to the back. "What about a gun safe? You have somewhere to keep them?"

Aji smirked a little. "We have very safe places to keep them."

"Gunbelts?"

"No need," she assured him. "We have our own methods."

He considered that, then shrugged. There were a lot of strange things in this world, and if these girls could kill that monstrosity down at the shore, they were about twenty of them. "Your choice. Now, let's ring those up. I should tell you, the power cells are too low to use. You can see why, I'm sure."

Aji nodded immediately. "We can." The bill was totalled, and Ashi paid the man. Then it was on to acquire her arrows, Ari's shuriken, and Avi's throwing axes. And Aki wanted whatever those were that the samurai had used to capture them, but it turned out that nobody sold them, they were so easy to make. So it was a trip to a third store, this one on the docks, to get the materials they needed: thin, strong, flexible cord and heavy weights. And a few other things, such as fishing poles, a net, knife, and the other paraphernalia of fishing, including a book on the basics of that art. By the time they were back at their room, they were very glad of their exceptional endurance and strength. They quickly opened their packages, and began reading the manuals for their new acquisitions, the first things they'd ever had that they could honestly call their own. First, they set the charger where their altar to Aku had been, the contrast lost on none of them, and after loading cells into their guns, they put them and the extras into the appropriate receptacles to charge. Then it was on to studying the mysteries of the fishing pole, hook and line until the hour grew late enough that sleep for the next day was wise.


	13. Of Fish and Man

Jack had taken time to see the gulper's corpse. It was absolutely astonishing, incredibly, impossibly huge, and as he watched, men worked to open its belly. A sudden realization struck him and he hurried toward the mouth. The workers had to be warned! As he approached, a burly man with a rifle and sloping forehead blocked his way.

"You on the crew?" he asked, surly and a bit hostile.

"No, I am not. But I have to warn… "

"Warn the crews about the dangerous symbionts? We already know about them. The ectoparasites died while the fishermen were hauling it ashore, and we've got guys watching for endoparasites. Boss Chang takes care of his people."

Jack's eyes widened, and the heavy grinned. "I'm muscle. I'm good at being muscle. But I'm not dumb muscle." Jack looked a bit sheepish, and apologized for his presumption. The heavy kept grinning, and assured Jack there was no offence taken. The samurai took a walk adjacent to the work site, watching the large crew opening the gulper's belly and cutting the corpse apart. It would probably take weeks to reduce the immense carcass. He was suddenly very, very glad he had not had to fight those those girls a second time.

"You should be!" Mad Jack growled. "If you had any brains, you'd stay as far from them as you could!" "I made a choice, and I must live with the consequences! I know that!" "Or die with them, more likely. They're fanatics, even if they're cunning fanatics, and they're sworn to your death!" "They were sworn, but they have already abandoned Aku, and offered apologies! They even called him a false god; would any fanatic do that?" "So what? They'll just find some other reason you have to die!" "No! I will not abandon this course! It is the first time in far too long I have made my choices based on morals instead of pragmatism, and I will not allow you to force me from it." "Sure you won't. Just wait until they turn on you, then you'll let 'morals' go." "They will not! Our task is the same: to defend the world and its wonder and beauty." "Like they defended that buck?" "We needed food! And by their own statement, they already knew not to take more than they could use." "We'll see," Mad Jack grumped before he walk around a lamppost. Jack himself stood still, trembling in reaction, barely noticing the worried and frightened looks he had garnered from other passers-by.

He resumed walking, noticing as he approached the city centre that blue and silver ribbons now decorated a number of lamp-posts, and some of the shops displayed carved birds and nests in their windows. He'd have to do some shopping soon, find some things for the girls. What might make good gifts for young women with such a strange upbringing? he wondered as he wandered the streets. He disliked the malls, preferring the arcade stores, especially the side street arcades.


	14. A Taste of Heaven

With a new purpose came a new routine: breakfast, performing, then dinner, the firing range and whatever open space they could find to master their new weapons or refine their mastery of their old ones, cross-training so all of them were equally proficient with all the components of their arsenal, and finally a pleasant night's sleep in a pile. Until they had their next day off.

Ashi looked to the others. "So… we don't want to stay in, of course. Perhaps we should go it alone today? Aji loves the library, and Aki, you love those fighting machines. I'm sure we could all find something to do, and perhaps some way to help a few people." She looked at the others, and they all looked around.

Finally, Adi spoke. "Have we ever been apart before?"

The others considered the question, and finally Aji nodded. "In the ruins, when we were hunting the samurai. That's the only time outside of training exercises."

"Then we need to spend more time apart. Learn more about who we are on our own," Ashi said. "Besides, we can learn more areas that way." With varying degrees of reluctance, the others nodded. They loaded their weapons and where applicable extra cells into their darksuits, then filed out of the house in unison before splitting up. It felt strange, not having her sisters near her, as Ashi headed toward an area she'd noticed during the run for their weapons. She wanted to know why it had been glowing blue.

As had Ashi, Avi, Ami and Adi headed toward areas which had drawn their curiosity during a run over the rooftops. Less than two blocks gone, Ami had to find somewhere to sit and compose herself; the edge of a store window served her purpose. Of course, it wasn't long before a young man approached the latex-sheathed lovely.

"Hey there," he said. She looked up, and returned his greeting. "Want to talk inside," and he gestured to a nearby place called Study Hall.

"Please," she said as she rose. Unlike real latex, her darksuit made no sound at all as she moved, following the young man. He was taller than herself, but shorter than the samurai, and seemed somehow graceless, though she wasn't quite sure why. Aji would have known, she was sure. Still, he was not unpleasing to look at, and it was nice to be dealing with someone whose skin and face were like her own. His clothing was simple: deep purple pants and a loose, heavy shirt over another shirt of deep blue, thick black shoes with high ankles. He guided her into the place, and went over a to panel on the wall. She looked at the strange pictures, like nothing she'd seen or even imagined. She wondered what the names referred to. Lunar landscape, jungle hideaway, tropical beach, and others that made no more sense. Under one pictured marked "evil temple" she pressed a button marked "demo" and watched what looked like a play, or rather a part of one, performed by what seemed to be tiny people. A man dragged a woman into a room that looked disturbingly like something from the Temple of Aku, then started to pull her clothes off despite her struggles. It faded away just as he was forcing her upper garment down her arms and torso. The meaning was clear, and she turned to the young man, who smiled at her.

"You like the dark stuff? Guess I should have expected that," he said in a cheerful tone.

She shook her head. "No. I am not removing this," she said in a firm voice.

He looked at her, baffled. "Oh, come on! You dress like that, outside a place like this, you come in no questions asked, and now you decide not to put out? What is with you, girl?" He watches as she reached seemingly behind herself, pulling out and donning her mask. His jaw dropped, then he laughed, brief but hearty. "You're one of the Daughters of Darkness? I'm sorry, I didn't recognize you up close. Let's start again, I'm Sochun."

She removed her mask and stored it once more. "I'm Ami."

"I'm pleased to meet you, Ami. Would you like to go somewhere else to talk?"

"Please," she said. "Perhaps you can tell me something on the way," she said as they walked out, leaving the bare-breasted counter girl more than a bit baffled as to what had just gone on.

Out in the street, he led her to a business called "Taste of Heaven," a name which puzzled her greatly. Taste she understood, but Heaven? What was that? He opened the door, and gestured her through. She accepted the offer, and he stood before the counter. Oh, the smells were wonderful in here… mostly. There was a distinctly unpleasant scent as well, underlying the nice ones.

"So, what would you like to know?" he asked while she scanned the display.

"What's coffee? We didn't have it where we grew up." She looked at a flat brown object with a glossy top, and after reading the little sign before it, decided to get one.

"What's coffee?" he asked as if he didn't quite believe the question. "Where did you grow up, in a cave?"

Ami turned her head so fast he half expected her to give herself whiplash. "How did you know!?" she asked quickly, her tone expressing upper bafflement.

"You… actually grew up in a cave?" he asked in disbelief. "Never mind, let's get something to eat first." She nodded, and asked for the brownie. He got for himself something that looked like a ring of peeling bread with half-congealed blood in the centre, and two cups of the coffee, which proved to be the source of the unpleasant scent. He took a seat at one of the tall table, and Ashi took another. "All right. 'Raised in a cave' is just slang, it means 'grew up in an extremely isolated place,' or just very unaware of current culture. Like you'd have to be not to know about coffee. But… you really were raised in a cave? How's that even possible?" She gave a very shortened and heavily edited version of her and her sisters' growing up, at the end of which his only reaction was "Your mother is seriously twisted, you know that, right?"

She nodded. "We've been realizing that. You don't know you've grown up in a nightmare until you leave it." Sochun was nice to be around, she decided. Not as nice as her sisters, but still nice. She took a sip of the coffee, and pulled a face as she pushed it away. Sochun suggested she try cream and sugar, which she did, and found that they brought the stuff up from horrid to bearable. But she still didn't like it, and he didn't press. The brownie, though, that was an unalloyed delight. She listened in fascination (and with some envy) as Sochun told her about his growing up, until he spotted her expression growing ever sadder.

"Maybe you'd like talk about something else?" he offered, and at her request he told her about the city, about places he liked to go for various things. She was an attentive listener, and it sure didn't hurt that she was very lovely. Once they were done with their pastries, he proposed a walking tour of the city, and Ami accepted. The two stepped out, and whither Sochun went, there went Ami.


	15. Contemplations and Meditiations

Adi was better off than Ami; she managed six blocks before needing to collect herself. An extremely narrow street, barely wider than a large man's shoulders, drew her curiosity, and she made her careful way down, not expecting trouble or ambush but prepared for the possibility, hand resting on the butt of the electrolaser in the darkness that sheathed her. Several steps down, the street opened up slightly, and now there were nondescript doors with little signs above them. Though she could make out the words on the signs, their meanings almost entirely eluded her, and prompted by burgeoning curiosity, she went through a door more or less randomly.

Behind the door, she found a room somewhat larger than the samurai's, with wooden floors and carved walls, lit by soft lights behind yellow shades that swelled at the bottom and narrowed toward the top, then opened out slightly again at the top. There were wooden chairs and shelves full of books on the walls, all the colours warm and light, inviting somehow. A woman considerably older than herself sat behind a desk, and smiled when she came in. "Welcome to our temple," she said in voice both like and unlike Adi's mother. This woman's voice was warm, inviting, and her robe was a light yellow. She stood and crossed the room, towering over Adi. "Our next service will be soon; would you like to observe, Daughter of Darkness?"

Adi stared a bit. "You know me?"

The priestess smiled. "I've seen your act, half the city knows about your killing the gulper, and there aren't many girls your size and build in the city who walk around in black latex. I do like your act, it's wonderful high comedy."

"Ah… thank you," Adi said, though she looked a bit distressed. The idea of mocking Aku was still not entirely sitting well with her. "So… who do you worship here?"

The woman took a book from a shelf. "Read the first few pages. That will give you the basics," she said with a gentle smile. "I'm sure you'll have questions."

Adi accepted the book, and settled into a wooden chair. The book was written with simple words, but the concepts were just so strange. She had to read several times before she even began to understand, however slightly. Time-not? Stars before stars? Weird stuff. But she kept on, finally getting to things she could understand. The gods, the book claimed, were born from the first stars' explosive deaths, and had not exactly created the stars and worlds of now, but had influenced their creations and natures. She remembered the samurai saying that the gods had made the stars, which was wrong if this book was right. She'd have to ask him about that. But she continued on, until she got up to the part where people came to be. At that point she returned the book to the priestess. "I think I've read all I can for now. So… where did Aku come from?"

The priestess shrugged. "We don't know. Let me sing for you, one of our most foundational songs." Much of the song was made of words Adi didn't know, but the chorus was clear: "Humans wrote the sacred books; truth writes itself." "If you would worship at any idol, worship at this." She removed from under her robe a pendant, consisting of a triangle with a crystal at its tip, the tip in the hollow where a disc was cut out from a larger disc, off-centre. "This represents the universe. Crystalline, amorphous, symmetrical and asymmetrical, smooth and rough, dull and glossy. To praise and worship this is to praise and worship the universe, and all things in it, including yourself."

Adi did not touch the pendant, but she did examine it closely. "Your book doesn't say where Aku came from."

The priestess shook her head. "It doesn't, and probably never will. We don't know how Aku came to be, we don't even have a good guess, and to put something in the book we know is probably false would be both sin and blasphemy. Our entire purpose is the endless search for knowledge and understanding, including of ourselves. There are many, many questions we cannot answer, but we will answer any question we can."

That sounded much like the samurai's pledge to them, that he would not tell them a thing he knew was not so. "Can you tell me then, why are there seasons? I grew up in a temple very unlike this one." The priestess took another book from the shelf, one which explained the seasons to her, then invited her to read any book on the shelf. Adi selected one more or less at random, settled into a chair, and began to read. The books were simple, written for a general audience, intended to convey a few basic concepts, a framework for further understanding. Just as well, for Adi had trouble even with that. She found that even these simple books assumed knowledge she lacked, and asked the priestess for help, getting a sympathetic look and a direction to a few even more basic works, ones she could, with effort, understand. Numbers were first, simple counting. She was just starting to make progress when the priestess announced that the service would start soon, and invited her into the temple proper.

The temple was narrow but deep, not even a tenth the floor space she associated with the word, and that was barely the start. White and gold, lit by steady lights, instead of black stone lit by flickering torches. In place of the image of Aku, a large copy of the priestess' pendant. Geometric inlays on a smooth floor in place of plain and slightly uneven black stone. People filed in, and sat cross-legged, talking with each other about various subjects; Adi barely understood one word in twenty. The priestess was the last to enter, and she took up her position before the idol. "We have a visitor today, I'm sure you've noticed. Adi, one of the Daughters of Darkness, came to visit us without knowing it. Please, make her feel welcome." Cheerful greetings followed, directed at her and leaving her feeling both pleased and awkward. Finally, the priestess and congregation made with their thumbs and forefingers an egg-shaped sign in her direction, and spoke strange words nearly in unison. "It's a blessing in an ancient language," the priestess explained. "It means 'sound mind in healthy body,' and it's what we strive for."

Adi relaxed a little. "I certainly have a healthy body," she admitted.

They congregation smiled at that, and they all sat cross-legged. Adi followed their lead, and listened to the sermon. It was on the theme of respect for all persons, regardless of appearance or origin, and the importance of understanding and respecting the customs of others, with plenty of examples. At the end, the priestess turned to Adi. "Perhaps our visitor could give an example of a custom from her growing up that would seem strange or even horrid to us, but has a sound reason behind it?"

Adi froze up, then stammered a bit, and finally managed to start talking. "I was raised in a temple, but one not much like this. One custom was for our meals - mine and my sisters' - to be placed where we couldn't reach them without adult help, then deny us help, even each others'. The reason was to force us to find new ways to reach our food constantly, and to be sure we'd eat it all and appreciate it." A very tall man in blue put his arms around her, holding her close for a long breath.

"A cruel custom," the priestess said, "with a valid goal: encouraging innovation and appreciation of the basics. Now, how else might that goal have been achieved?" And the members of the congregation began to discuss the problem, hammering out solutions to the basic challenge that didn't involve possible starvation. The tall man took Adi's hand when she started to cry, and the rest looked away to give her a bit of privacy.

Ari wandered the city until she found what she considered the perfect location: under an evergreen tree, at the top of a cliff, near its edge, at the centre of the curve of a small U-shaped cove, giving her sight of water, rocks, trees, beach, ships, and sky. Sky was still strange to her, and she suspected to her sisters. There was no end to it, no matter where she looked, and she just couldn't quite grasp that. Still, she settled into a half-lotus on the bare ground beneath the tree and between two roots. Ari slowed her breathing, and let her mind drift. Her sisters came to her mind first. Ashi, the decisive. Avi the strong. Ami, as caring and gentle as their mother permitted, always bravest, first to laugh and first to cry. Adi, strong in faith. How this must be tearing at her. It was tearing at her, an aching emptiness even her sisters' love for her and hers for them couldn't entirely fill. Aji the thoughtful, swift to learn. Aki the quick. Training, sparring, giving each other what little comfort and mutual assistance their mother tolerated. She let her thoughts dwell on them, then drift to other things. The samurai. Their first fight, then the ambush in the temple, their first such and nearly Aki's last. Their capture, his inexplicable kindness to them since. Or was it inexplicable? Could it truly be as simple as he said, that he had chosen to help them simply because he felt it was the right thing? He had put them in a position to see the truth of the world, however much it hurt, as he'd said he would. The times he'd seemed to talk to people who weren't there, even argue with them. She had no idea what to make of that, it was so strange, and more than a bit frightening. The thought drifted away, replaced by others, and eventually with the empty stillness she had so often sought before the idol of Aku. But before her former Lord, this stillness had been cold, dark, even hostile. Before the sky and the sea it was light, warm, almost welcoming. She was physically cold, yes, but not spiritually, aware without being aware of that awareness. Ari sat, barely moving, until the demands of her body took precedence and she sought out sustenance and relief.


	16. Artistry and Impossibilities

Not far from the library was the museum, and such art galleries as there were. Aji paid the admission to the museum, and almost immediately regretted it. The place was almost entirely dedicated to showcasing the power and wickedness of Aku and his governments. Acts of tyranny and brutality, methods of torture used on dissidents, atrocities of every sort. Aji left very quickly, fighting down the urge to simple destroy the entire building, and sought refuge in a nearby art gallery, filled with amazingly realistic statues of men and women in various poses, mostly nude. Aji walked around, fascinated by the beautiful carvings, especially the male ones, until one of the statues stepped down.

"Hello," the blonde, tanned "statue" said, caring nothing for her nudity. "Welcome to the Gallery Alive, would you care for a tour?" When Aji did't respond immediately, the young woman smiled gently. "I'm alive. I work here, and I know all about the statues, if you'd like to know more."

"Please," Aji finally said.

The guide nodded as she began walking. "This is called Gallery Alive because the artwork is, well, alive. Certain drugs and treatments keep them still, and if you choose to buy one, a replica is created. Since living things change constantly, every work is at least slightly different from all others."

"They're… alive? And aware?" Aji asked, voice small.

"Oh, yes. Quite alive. And we provide for their needs until their indentures are paid off. Then we return what little they might have in the way of personal effects, give them their surplus wages, and send them on their way. There are far worse places to end up than our gallery, after all." She touched some statue-folk as they walked along, and described the various uses to which she thought a replica might best be put.

Aji kept her face still and hard, but departed the moment she found a good opportunity. Aku, she thought, you have so much to answer for. She stepped into a much smaller gallery, one with painting and posters and small statuary for sale. The subject matters and styles were highly varied; landscapes and animals, men and women in every style of dress or undress. But one painting stopped her cold. Incredible, impossible, yet there it was: the Hall of Worship, the very place where she had prayed so many times over the years, to the very life! The idol, the torches, everything, in every detail! The only thing that convinced Aji it was a painting was the worshippers' lack of attire. She knew the Cult of Aku never went nude outside of the bathing pools.

"Creepy thing, isn't it?" a man's voice said from behind her, and she agreed with the opinion. "I have to wonder where the artist got her inspiration. I mean, seriously. A temple like that to Aku? Propitiatory shrines, of course, but an actual temple with priests and worshippers and a gigantic idol is kind of far-fetched, don't you think?"

Aji couldn't pull her eyes from the painting. "It is hard to believe. And of course, a cave like that would be much too cold for the faithful to be without clothes. Still, it's a magnificent painting, not that I'd want it on my wall."

"Would you like to look at some other pieces, ones that aren't quite so disturbing?" She agreed very quickly, and he took her on a tour of the gallery. "We mostly arrange things by general tone and feel. Over here, we keep spring landscapes, picnics in the park, and other more uplifting works. I think that's what you're looking for right about now, right?" She nodded, and he showed her a number of landscapes both sunlit and moonlit: a regatta, a family picnic, a doe and fawns browsing at night, and other, more positive scenes. Slowly, Aji recovered her equilibrium, thanked the attendant, and moved on to other galleries and jewellery stores.

Aki tore down a tight, treacherous mountain road on her high-powered motorcycle, frantically dodging fire from hunter-killer drones. She leaned hard into the curves, then spotting a break in the guardrail, took an insane chance: she drove straight through it, down the mountainside, and went toward the lake at the highest speed she could manage. She hoped it would at least throw off the drones for a few moments, long enough to drive across the lake. If she could get the bike going fast enough… the instant she could see the end of the trees, it was full throttle. Heart in her throat, she charged the lake, semi-standing above the saddle to help buffer the rough terrain's shocks and bounces. 100, 105, 110, 115 said the speedometer, and contact! Yes! she exulted silently, teeth bared in a fierce grin. She was doing it, she was driving over the lake! Impossible, but she was doing it!

Back on the beach, and back into the woods. She kept glancing to her locator, kept correcting her course to stay on track to her destination. The forest way was impossible, the obstacles too close, nobody had the reflexes to drive it the whole way! Nobody! Well, nobody but her or her sisters. But there was just one last problem: the fence, and Aki had another crazy idea. She left the forest path, and turned to ride along the edge of the cliff that overlooked her target building. At the closest point of approach, she gunned the throttle again, and drove off the edge, over the fence, and down onto roof. The bike jounced, wobbled, nearly tipped, and Aki barely managed to get it under control and stopped. Barely in time, the drones were back! She didn't even consider other possibilities: she pulled her gun, and started shooting. One shot, one drone. Then it was just a press on a button, and a ride down to the labs, where she turned over the desperately needed vaccine sample to the head researcher. The visuals faded, and she removed her helmet to hear the cheers of the crowd.

Aki swung off the bike, still grinning like a madwoman, and accepted the other gamers' accolades for her performance. "You think that was good?" she asked. Her grin didn't fade in the slightest as her eyes narrowed at their enthusiastic confirmation. "What's the hardest fighting game here?"


	17. Edges and Circles

Hopping over the rooftops, Ashi kept the blue area in sight until she reached a street that led straight there. Then she scuttled down an alleyway wall, and walked the rest of the way conventionally. As she approached, her eyes started to hurt, and recalling the morning after the cave, she put on her mask. It helped, and she started to look around. The most obvious thing was that most of the people weren't human. Humanlike, but not human, they were noticeably shorter, noticeably broader, and their skin had a distinct purplish cast to it. Ashi drew a lot of measuring looks, and finally, one woman of these people stepped directly in front of her.

"Heard you're tough. A mighty fighter," she said without preamble.

Ashi looked her over, eyes hidden by her mask. Loose shirt and pants, light shoes. Moved easily, she had at least some fighting skill. But there was no chance her training was equal to Ashi's. "Tough enough," she answered. "You?"

"Tough enough."

"So we're even. I want to go that way, so you step to your right and I'll step to mine."

"Not happening, girl. I want to know how tough you really are."

So she drove her knee into the woman's gut, so fast the onlookers barely registered the strike. "Tougher than you." She stepped around the gasping woman, and turned her challenger's attempted punch into a throw, laying her out flat, before dropping low and pulling a kunai from her darkness. Knee on the woman's chest, Ashi put the edge to the woman's throat. "Like I said. Give up?"

The woman glanced at the kunai. "You win." She stayed still until Ashi stood, and after some hesitation reached down. Then the woman accepted the hand up. "Good match. You're really, really good. Like a nickel's worth of free advice?"

Ashi took a moment to parse that. "Please."

"I'm Kumyra, and you are?"

"Ashi."

"Hey Ashi. Anyway, 'round here you need to prove yourself. Show you're tough so people respect you, get it?"

Ashi nodded. It was too easy to understand that.

"Good. See over there, where it says 'Atuk Molok?' That means fighting circle. Go there, challenge the toughest person you think you can beat. That'll get you enough respect to get by around here."

Ashi's mask smiled slightly. "Thank you, Kumyra. I'll do that." And she set off toward the fighting circle. The walk was fairly short, nothing to her, the sets of double doors broad and multiple. Ashi opened one door, then heard a voice from her right.

"Hold it. Entrance fee first," said a man, or rather a male of this species.

She turned to him. "My apologies." She looked at the sign with the prices, and counted out several coins. "Here." He returned one, which she collected along with her ticket. The circle was upstairs from a bar and eatery, and when she entered, was quiet, relatively, perhaps two dozen people in the stands. She looked about, and saw a man in a green shirt in the circle itself. She walked over to him. "I am Ashi, of the Daughters of Darkness. I am here to prove my worth."

He simply nodded, and tapped quickly on one the pane-of-glass objects she'd seen before. "We have five main classes, five is the lowest. Where do you want me to put you?"

"Class One," she said with absolute certainty.

"Class One?" he asked. "Maybe you should know what the classes are called. Unofficially, Class Five is 'kid class.' It goes up to 'regular,' 'good,' 'dangerous' and 'terrifying.' Or from point of view of a class two, why bother, fair fight, tough fight, crazy fight and die now. Are you sure you want to register for class one fights?"

She nodded. "Certain."

"Right. Well, there are a few rules here: No weapons, no lethal strikes, no crippling blows. These fights are about standing, not killing. Got that?"

Ashi nodded again. "I understand."

The man entered the pertinent information. "You're scheduled for tonight, be back here around two hours hours past sunset." He looked her over. "Go back to the human areas until then," he said gently. "The light here's bad for your eyes." She took his advice, and quickly found her way to areas where she could remove her mask. It was not hard to pass time in the city centre, not with so many streets to walk down, so many interesting stores to explore, and when she was hungry or thirsty, so many different foods and drinks to sample.

When the sun sank near to setting, she sought a high roof and continued watching it as it set. Despite her rejection of Aku's divinity, she had prayed to him every sunset (even though she hadn't been too clear on what that was) for as far back as she could remember, and not doing so felt wrong, weird, and profoundly uncomfortable. It must have been even worse for poor Adi, she thought. From her vantage point Ashi sighted in on the blue area, then scuttled back down to the street, taking a circuitous route back to the fighting circle, and taking the opportunity to eat and drink. She used the facilities of the bar beneath the circle, then it was time for the show.

She watched a woman in short pants and abbreviated top stagger her opponent with one punch to the head, then put her into a hold just shy of breaking her neck. The held woman went limp, then to Ashi's surprise the crowd cheered her when the victor went out of the circle. She turned to the official for an explanation.

"It's simple. The challenger's a known class three, wanted to raise her rep by challenging a class one. Nobody expected her to win; the crowd is cheering her because she had the guts to try, and the brains to know when she'd lost."

Ashi nodded, and at his signal, went in. He announced her, and her opponent. The woman wasn't huge, indeed she was only a little taller than Ashi herself, though considerably broader. She wore the same sort of short pants and abbreviated top as the other, and her hands and feet were wrapped in tape. She took a ready stance, and began to circle her opponent.

That worthy smiled. "Don't worry about your standing. You last two punches, you'll be the toast of the town."

Ashi said nothing. Her mask showed nothing. She launched into an immediate attack, though holding back much of her speed; she didn't want to show too much in so public a place. Her opponent blocked and dodged and counterattacked, forcing Ashi to put more than her usual effort into defence. Still, never relent was the first rule Mother had beaten into her, so she too did her best to maintain the offensive. The woman was fast, strong, tough, and skilled, but as the battle went on, Ashi moved faster, put greater strength into each strike, and finally an opening came, a hole in her right side defence that earned a lightning fast kick and a meaningful injury. That shifted the flow of combat enough that Ashi could beat her down and force a foot-on-throat surrender. The crowd did not cheer. They simply sat there in stunned silence, and Ashi helped her opponent to rise. They both departed, the crowd finally bursting into cheers just as they exited the circle.


	18. Awfulness Investigated

Avi had no real idea where she was going, only that the "hole" in the lighted portions of the city's nightscape had caught her attention. She felt unsettled, venturing into unknown territory without her sisters' support, but some things just had to be done. Besides, despite her petite frame she'd grown stronger even than the massive Rika. She drew a lot of attention as she wandered, most of it in forms of compliments on her deeds, some of it sounding positive by tone but meaningless in content. She stared around, looking at everything, every inch the country mouse in the city, and eventually managed to find her way to what she believed had been the hole. A long look showed why it had been dark: it was a single, huge building, and a single look at the guards on the doors, with their large ready guns and grim faces, convinced her that going in the front door would be a bad idea. She turned into an alley, ran up a wall, then after donning her mask, jumped the street to the roof, coming out of her roll with throwing axes in her hands. She looked around the empty roof, seeing only a curious lines-and-circle symbol and a structure near it somewhat larger than a pair of small trucks.

Taking advantage of the lack of lookouts on the roof, Avi quickly scouted the perimeter for possible ways in. Nothing stood out immediately, but she was willing to be patient, and it wasn't long until a large truck rolled up one street, and entered the building. Perfect. It would only be a matter of time before another truck came by. With no windows, and armed guards at all the doors, it didn't take Aji's brains to work out that this building could not hold anything good. So she waited until a truck came in when their seemed to be nobody else watching, and quickly scuttled down the wall, under the lintel, and up to the ceiling, hoping nobody spotted her.

Her luck was in, it seemed, as she quickly concealed herself in the rafters, watching the scene below. The truck itself seemed fairly ordinary, as such things went, and the contents were just ordinary crates. Again, nothing special so far as she could see. Workers used items she didn't recognize to move them off the truck, and around the large room, then the truck went on and left the building on a different side. One worker maneuvered a vehicle with flat blades at its front to pick up a stack of crates, and rolled them out a door that opened of itself as he approached, and closed behind. Creeping through the rafters, Avi had an idea. Waiting patiently directly above that door, she watched until the room workers were in other areas, then again until the vehicle and its driver returned, at which pointed she simply dropped, barely rolling under the door as it fell shut behind her. She ran down the corridor, and at the other end found a simple swinging door. Simple, but as it turned out, quite heavy. She pushed hard, and opened one side, then had to step clear and stand still while her eyes and ears adjusted.

She looked around once her eyes stopped smarting, and almost immediately noticed that every woman was either in elaborate outfits, or sheaths covering the entire body, the torso, only chest and hips, or just hips. Assuming they wore anything; many of the younger women wore only bands of leather or metal about their necks, and possibly wrists and ankles. She quickly stowed her mask to better blend in, and began to walk the broad corridor. Men were similarly clad, she noticed: Elaborate outfits, sheaths or loin coverings, with or without hoods, or just bands. Very strange, she thought. She walked the way some of the other sheathed women walked: head high, strides long, like her mother among the sisters. It was that or head down, hands together, like a novice approaching her mother. The broad, high corridors were lined with, she presumed, businesses of various sorts, but what she saw was more than slightly bewildering. Elaborate windowless fronts with silhouettes of women (or less often, men) on them, with puzzling names. She recognized bars, but the lack of attire of the waitstaff was very odd, as were some of the sounds coming from the back of several of the establishments. Stores carrying books and magazines, the covers of which mostly featured unclothed men or women in ropes, chains, or other restraints, usually being tortured in some way by men, women, or both, or exceedingly odd clothing, the purpose of which was entirely beyond her, or various objects whose uses were decidedly unclear. Eventually, she wandered to a section where the lighting was different, similar to the lighting in the temple. The floor too was similar, and Avi reached to touch her throwing axes. The names were less odd now, but much more unsettling. Reluctantly, she set her hand on the handle of a door between a sign that read "Toil and Tears" and a silhouette in glossy black of a woman hanging by her wrists, a whip coming down down toward her back.

Within, the place was little more than a small entrance are with a desk to one side and some seating to the other, and a long corridor with heavy doors, lit by what she instantly recognized as clever imitations of torches. A woman in a black, seamless neck band, with dark skin and no hair at all stood behind the desk, and bowed her head the moment Avi came in. "What will be your pleasure, Mistress? A man, or a woman?"

Avi didn't really understand the question, but took the choice that seemed safer. "A woman," and the service woman pushed a button.

"What degree of restraint do you want her in? Mild, moderate, severe, or extreme?"

Avi's jaw dropped a bit. "Mild will be enough."

The woman pushed another button. "And how much pain do you wish to inflict?" she asked, listing the same degrees, then adding "terminal." Avi produced her kanabo. She hadn't entirely understood what was on offer, but if killing someone in chains was an available option, she was quite sure what to do, and dashed down and up the corridor, smashing the doors as she went, glancing quickly inside each room. "Everyone who wants to continue living, leave now and never come back here again!" she bellowed.

One elaborately dressed man stepped out through the ruin of the heavy wooden door, and walked up to her. "Who do you think you are, telling me what I can and can't…"

The rest of his sentence was cut off by a kanabo impacting his stomach. "Your evils will no longer be allowed in this city, and you get one warning," she snarled, her mask twisting slightly to match her expression. "If you ever do such things again, you'll envy the doors. Now get out!" She watched in satisfaction as he all but ran from the place, the other customers doing likewise. Only half the cells, she'd noticed, were in use, but she went back and released the bindings on the men and women therein. The counter girl was was standing there, terrified, but Avi merely returned her kanabo to the darkness, and spoke softly. "Where do I find the one whose business this is?"

The woman looked firmly down at her feet. "I do not know, Mistress. I can only tell you where to find my owner."

Avi continued to speak gently. "I will not hurt you," she told her. "Tell me what you can, and that will be enough." The woman looked up, slightly, and shared what little she could. Avi's mask smiled slightly. "Thank you," she said. "I strongly suggest you close for the rest of the day." And with those words, she slipped out the back way, following the service corridor until she found an exit. From there, the owner's apartment was easy to reach by alleyway and back lane and spider-like climb. Entering by a small window, she helped herself to an oddly shaped green-skinned fruit then began to search the apartment, looking for anything that might provide a clue as to where to start on shutting down the loathsome operation. There were many papers to be found, but none that seemed relevant to her. She ignored the computer entirely, just another meaningless object. As she was working on a third search, she heard a key in the lock, and before the door was open, Avi was gone, nothing but a missing piece of fruit to mark that she had ever been there.

Several hours past sunset, the Daughters gathered again on the rooftop of their rooming house, telling each other about their days. The others were pleased with how Ami's had gone, and Aki, Ashi and Ari's, pleased and appalled by turns at Aji's, both intrigued and puzzled at Adi's, and horrified by Avi's. "This must stop," Ashi said. "That business is everything we've sworn to fight, and it will not stand longer than we can help. We'll start by learning more about this 'mob,' and how to deal with them. Then we can decide whether to talk or fight."

"Tomorrow, after work,"Aji said. "So… who do we talk to?" She looked around, greeted by pensive looks, or worried.

Finally, Aki slowly and reluctantly spoke. "I think we need to talk to the samurai. He's the only one we can ask without having to explain where we're really from." There was a ragged chorus of reluctant assent. Though the sisters had never discussed it, they all felt the same shamed reluctance to admit to their true origins.

In the awkward, uncomfortable silence that followed, Adi produced a rectangular crystal from her darkness, holding a copy of the symbol from the little temple. "I bought this today. It just felt wrong to have no altar or idol." The others looked at it; it would have been hard to imagine an object of veneration more different than this. "I have no idea how or even if we're supposed to give worship, but it just feels wrong not to have something, and, well… " The others grimaced, understanding exactly what she meant. They returned to their room, where she set the shallow block carefully upright in front of the charger, and the seven ranged themselves before the little idol, three and four, and began to meditate upon it.


	19. Long Nights and Laughter

The next morning, they woke physically refreshed, though still heartsore and hollow. But they had obligations to honour, and so after a round of warm embraces, they went to the theatre, where along with their breakfast they found a message to see the manager. Once done with their meal, they went to the office, this time at least marginally prepared for the woman's eye-hurting outfits. This one was less violently gaudy, but that was entirely because there was far less of it. Where her previous suit had covered only slightly less than their darksuits, this one consisted of tightly fitted mid-calf boots, pants so short they weren't even sure that pants was the the correct term, and an extremely abbreviated vest. Oh, and broad bracers. All of it was in the same sort of overly vibrant colours as the last thing they'd seen her in, with the same sorts of over-elaborate embroidery. They noticed that the manager somehow maintained superb muscle tone, almost equal to their own or their trainers'.

She smiled brightly to them, swinging her feet off the desk. "Good morning. How are you all doing?"

"We're getting better," Aki admitted. "It's been a big change, going from a small temple to the big city."

The woman smirked at that for some reason. "I'd like to talk to you about changing your act. I want to put you onto the medium time, so you'll need a longer play. Can you do that?" Aki nodded acknowledgement. "Good. And on the weekend, I want to have you do a play about how you killed the gulper. You'll have the time to develop it, since you'll be doing fewer shows each day. Talk to the stage manager about it. And don't forget the Solstice special."

Solstice special? Aki didn't ask. "We'll talk to him, and be sure to have something ready for the special."

The manager smiled warmly to them. "Good. Now get going, you'll need every minute to get the lighting and blocking ready."

"Now what?" Ami whispered as they headed downstairs. "Adi, Aji, do you have any idea what a Solstice is, or why it's special?"

Both girls frowned in thought, then Adi's face lit with a bright smile. "Yes, I remember! I read about it yesterday in the the Eedyk temple. Winter Solstice is what most people call the Long Night." The others nodded in understanding, at least that was something.

"We'll need to come up with an act for then. Another thing to ask the samurai about," Ashi said, with evident reluctance. But there wasn't much time to worry about that when they were busy creating new lighting and blocking for their new act. "In a tearing hurry," they had quickly learned, seemed to be the usual way of doing things in this field. At least they didn't need to invent a longer performance, only remember one and adapt it to their numbers.

At the day's end, they made their way to the samurai's apartment, and Ashi knocked. The waited in their accustomed three-and-four formation until he invited them in. They took their accustomed places around the table, and each produced from her darksuit a small container, which she unfolded into a serving plate. "You have always provided some sort of refreshment for us, samurai," Ashi said. "It seemed only right to return the kindness."

He recognized the dishes, and smiled with delight. They were not entirely authentic, but they were closer to the cooking of his long-lost home than he had yet found. "Thank you! I will fetch tea, and plates and utensils." He did so quickly, and the eight, after Jack said a thanks the Daughters echoed, began to enjoy their meal, filling each other in on their recent activities. After the cleanup, what little there was, Aki broached the first question, the simpler one they thought. "What do people do at the solstice? We know it's a special time, but in the temple we called it the Long Night, when Aku's power is greatest, and marked it by fasting and special services, penances and acts of devotion and contrition."

Jack sighed, saddened but not surprised. "For most people, this is a time for family and friends, and it is marked with the singing of songs, the placing of special decorations, feasts, and the giving of gifts. Nobody who does not truly need to works on the Solstice, but the day after is for more public celebrations. There are parades, contests, and I have no doubt there will be special performances at your theatre."

Aki smiled. "There are, and we need to create one."

"Perhaps, perhaps not. The audiences believe the play you have been doing to be a deadpan satire, comical because you present a ludicrous scenario, tales of a benevolent Aku, in a perfectly serious way. Tell me of the Long Night ceremonies?" And the girls did. Jack kept his face still and calm with considerable effort as they told of the penances and devotions, more like torture. The giving of blood to the fire burning in the idol's bowl. The day and night of hunger and thirst, the suffering an offering to their "benevolent" god. "No, that will not work," he said after some consideration. "Perhaps… " and he outlined a play that fit with their background, appearance, and established schtick of mocking Aku. "There might already have been such a play written." The girls smiled as they considered, and Ami grinned ear to ear.

"Thank you," Ashi said. "We have one other question, but it's the most important. What's the mob? We, well, Avi really, came across a business that we think needs to end."

The explanation and the conversation that followed had indeed been very long, and Jack had been hard pressed to conceal his distress at the girls' appalling ignorance. They truly had learned nothing in their growing up but fighting and athletics and the praising of Aku. He would need to get them something very nice indeed for their first real Solstice, he resolved firmly.

Many hours later, the girls were gathered in their little room, sitting cross-legged in a circle. "This world is so… so… " and Aki trailed off, groping for words.

"Wrong?" Aji suggested. "It is wrong. Very wrong, and the heart of that is… " she looked over to Adi. "I'm sorry to say this. I really am."

She shook her head, and let her face fall. "I know. Aku." Her iron control failed, and she grabbed onto Avi for comfort as she broke down. The others joined the embrace, and soon they were again a pile of young women, and not too long after that, asleep.

Adi knelt before the great idol of Aku, prostrating herself. She wore her mask, but neither robe nor darksuit gave modesty or warmth in the cold, cold cavern, colder far than the real one. The idol spoke, its face that of the living god it represented, not a mere carven likeness.  
"You have betrayed me, Daughter of Aku!" it/he thundered. "What have you to say, worthless worm, less than the mud?"  
Adi pressed her head even more firmly to the floor. "Oh, Lord Father, forgive me, I beg you! Let me aid my sisters in our holy mission to protect your world and slay your enemies, please, O mightiest of the Mighty!"  
The Shogun of Sorrows considered briefly. "No," she heard, and Aku blasted her into nothingness with his eye beams. She jerked awake, barely stifling a scream, then slowly began to relax, taking comfort from the warmth and closeness the seven had learned so quickly. The others woke at the thin wail she'd been unable to suppress, but held still and silent, save for Avi who renewed her embrace, and the comfort it gave. Slowly, the girls returned to sleep.


	20. Cold Comfort

Come the morning, the girls went through their usual routine, save that instead of prostration before Aku, they meditated for a few moments upon the new idol before going to the theatre for breakfast, performances and a brief meeting with the manager, who searched a shelf full of scripts before pulling one out. "Have the gofer get you seven copies of this." Aki took the little book, and after they left the office, passed it to the gofer along with the instructions. After work, they attended to dinner, and the firing range, and their workouts, and their sparring practice, still trying to develop that unnameable concept, the step beyond fighting as a group, with Ashi, Ami and Aki against Ari, Adi and Aji with Avi standing aside to observe. Eventually, long after sunset, they returned to their room, and settled in for a time to meditate upon their new idol before they began to read their new script. Tiny giggles seeped out from them, stifled almost instantly, as they read through the script as they could, but eventually, they just couldn't keep composed. They slipped the booklets into their darkness and fell against each other, laughing uproariously for the first time they could remember.

The next day was even busier than the one before, since they were working closely with a playwright of the manager's acquaintance, an exceptionally odd creature that more than anything resembled a deep blue rock that could somehow extrude whatever limbs and organs it needed at any given moment, and spoke in five part harmony with itself, when it wasn't arguing with itself or them over how to fit the story into the available time and which parts the girls ought to play other than themselves. It was possible to write, block and rehearse a play in the time available, barely, as long as the performers were very quick learners, and quick learning was something their mother and other trainers had sometimes literally beaten into them. On top of their regular performances, rehearsing their Solstice play, normal practises and workouts, and their new time at the range, they were more tired than they could remember being, barely able to take a few moments before sleep and on waking to meditate upon their new idol.

At last, the time came to premiere _Day of the Gulper_. It was beyond merely novel, they'd never even heard of some the things they'd learned for this! Flying harnesses to simulate swimming, fake weapons in place of real, puppet fish, puppets in general, exaggerated fighting moves to be seen clearly, and for the first time they could recall, wearing things over their darksuits, since in some scenes, some of them played people other than themselves. There was only so much room on stage, after all.

The play was a hit, with cheers, gasps, and even, yes, laughter in the appropriate places. The audience took it in stride when Aki changed roles to a mob goon, or Avi took the part of an old man with nothing but a mask and shirt to mark the change, and the girls played their parts the best they could, taking their bows unmasked. They even received a curtain call! By the end of the day, they were all but turning cartwheels as they headed home.

In their room once more, they sat in a circle, still grinning like madwomen from the performance high. "We're not going to get much sleep tonight," Ashi said. "So… what do we want to do?" As she looked around, Ami stood, and started tapping her foot. Then she started swinging her hips side to side, and the other girls rose, even Ari, to join the dance. They fell easily into synchronization, and danced with complete abandon, utterly unaware of the significance of their movements, had there been any to see them. Their wordless vocalizations, more a droned rhythm, were the only aspect of the impromptu performance at all like what they had learned in temple, yet even in ecstasy their training in stealth and concealment held, their steps light and voices soft. In due course, their high exhausted itself, and they settled first into the two-rowed formation of three and four they had adopted for their meditations, then after turning out the light, into the overlapping huddle they'd come to favour for sleep.

The next day, Ashi was the first to look out the window. "Sisters! Come look!" They quickly crowded at the little window. "It's beautiful…" They'd seen snowfalls before, but this was different, the tiny white bits going down, up, across, some slow, some fast, an entrancing display. "Wonders unending," Adi breathed softly, and the others nodded. They watched the snow for a time, then when the light of dawn came up, performed a brief meditation before their idol. Then their new script, though they could only manage about a page and a half before losing control. That was a good hint it was time to head to the theatre. The wind was heavy and fierce, biting cold even through their darksuits, and most people were heavily bundled. Perhaps that would be a good idea for their next day off, getting clothes suited to this weather? Out of sympathy and solidarity, though they didn't discuss it, the girls chose not to don their masks, lest they make Aki feel excluded. Fortunately, it was only a short walk to the theatre, and they were glad to get to the green room and the breakfast that came with their contract. They resumed their rehearsals after that, with frequent pauses to recover from giggle fits.

They put on two performances of _Day of the Gulper_ , one in the afternoon and one in the evening, as well as their new, longer regular play, and by day's end were once again all but turning handsprings. As they filed out of the theatre, Ashi looked to the others. "So, any idea what to do now?"

Ami smiled. "I know just the place." She led the others to a shelter at the edge of the street. "Sochun showed me these, they're called bus stops," and she explained their purpose and use to her sisters. In the blustering winter wind, the girls waited patiently, shivering heavily at first, then less so as they became accustomed to the cold, only their faces still chilled. When the needed bus came, they boarded and paid, and got off at the stop they needed then walked a few blocks to their real destination. "Only the rich are allowed in here, but the only thing keeping people out is that wall," she said, pointing to what looked to be a stone wall, perhaps twice their height. A moment later, they were in the park, a vast expanse of sculpted forest. "Now," she drawled thoughtfully, "let's try something new. We'll spread out, then we'll try to touch each other. Hand and foot strikes only, and if you're hit, you're out. Go to a bench."

Ashi considered. "That does sound interesting, and good training. Spread out, and start when I say 'go.'" The others nodded, and started to fan out when Aki spoke. "Wait! Put your masks on, please? I know I don't have one, but you don't need to keep cold faces for my sake." They did so, after thanking her, and the seven spread out, then at Ashi's word began to stalk each other through the snow and the bare trees. Ashi found her prey first: Adi, she thought. A quick, quiet leap, but not quiet enough. Adi sprang up into a nearby tree, her mask smiling slightly as she looked back. "Too slow, sister!" she taunted as Ashi sprang after her and she sprang for another tree, bringing herself within range of another of their sisters. She lunged, and the other flung herself aside. Another tried to take advantage of the situation, but to no avail, and soon all seven were leaping and springing through and among the bare trees and snow, flashing streaks of white and black too fast for the untrained eye to resolve.

The seven roamed across the park, then Ashi, crouched on a branch, raised her hand and the others quickly took places on nearby branches. She gestured down the path, and Aki's eyes grew wide in horror. A man wearing a large, heavy coat and boots walked down a path, and behind him on a leash a naked girl, gagged and hands bound in back. He frequently encouraged her with tugs on her leash, sometimes because she balked but sometimes just because he wanted to, at least so far as the sisters could tell. Then from his coat, he took a long coil of rope, and lashed the girl to a bare trunk, after which he brushed the snow from a bench and sat down, watching her. Ashi turned to her sisters. "We're going to stop this. And here's how," and she explained her plan.

"Let her go," he heard, a whisper so soft he thought he'd imagined it. Then it came again, from in front. He looked, and saw only the park and his victim. Yet the whisper came again, and again, and again. All around, and as he turned to face the whispers, he caught glimpses of pale faces, vanishing too quickly to make out. "Who's there?" he demanded in a voice as sure and certain as their mother's. But no answer came, only more whispers. "Let her go," or "come to us," or "we're so cold," and those glimpses of faces.

Moving quickly, in care and quiet, never touching the ground, Aki went behind the victim's tree, untying her before vanishing quickly, too quickly to be seen by the distracted man. But she watched carefully, and saw the girl remove her gag and collar, dropping it in the snow before running away. She heard the whispers change. "Take her place," or "join us," or "we're so lonely," each spoken by two sisters in near unison.

"Show yourselves!" he commanded, and the Daughters of Darkness did not oblige. "She is free," he heard in that same terrible whisper, now coming from all around. "Take her place," it demanded. He looked at the tree where he'd tied the girl, and saw only the rope and gag and collar. "Take her place" the whisper came again, and again, and again, its source ever-changing. He kept looking around, breath coming fast, and saw only streaks of white and black, resolving briefly into those horrid pale faces before vanishing, their demand never ceasing.

He pulled a gun, a simple heavy pistol, and fired on the streaks of black, the terrible faces, again and again and again until the hammer fell on an empty chamber. The demand didn't change, the whispers never ceased. He tried to charge the streaks, but against their fantastic speed, he had no chance, and the demand never ceased. He tried to run, and the whispering faces followed. Before him, to the left and the right, wherever he tuned that was not toward the tree, they were there, demanding, compelling. Trembling in every limb, he walked toward the tree. "Your clothes," came a new whisper, interleaved with the others. He refused, rallying his last scrap of courage, and felt a phantom touch at the back of his head. His face fell and he slumped over, slowly and reluctantly stripping, then standing with his back to the tree. Something he could not see handled the ropes, securing him firmly. A streak of darkness caused the collar and gag to vanish, then he felt the gag pressing into his mouth. He opened for it, and felt the strap draw tight. The collar followed. Another whisper. "We're so cold," and "Soon."

Careful not to reveal themselves, the Daughters withdrew through the bare branches. "Now what?" Ami asked once they were well clear. Ashi's mask smiled slightly. "Now we go home. I'm sure someone will come to investigate the gun shots."

They returned to their apartment on a different bus route, mostly because they left the park by a different street and so began from a different stop. By the time they returned, their performance high was worn off, leaving they with warm satisfaction and fatigue. A few minutes' meditation upon their new idol, then a huddle and some light talk before they fell asleep.


	21. Ghosts and Shadows

They returned to their apartment on a different bus route, mostly because they left the park by a different street and so began from a different stop. By the time they returned, their performance high was worn off, leaving they with warm satisfaction and fatigue. A few minutes' meditation upon their new idol, then a huddle and some light talk before they fell asleep.

The next day was a day off for them, and after getting breakfast at a restaurant favoured by the theatre district's performers, made their way to a quiet, homey space Ami had noticed during her tour, an odd little excrescence at the edge of the industrial district, concrete and featureless, lit by the red-orange light of a window that faced a nearby foundry. "So," Adi said slowly. "what now? How do we shut down that… place?" she asked, revulsion writ large upon her face.

"I've been thinking about that," Aji answered, then outlined her thoughts to her sisters; as they started working out the details, they realized that they didn't know nearly enough about the city to actually do it.

"We need another approach," Ashi said. "Something like what we did last night, make the owners think they're being haunted?" The others started to discuss the idea. It had merit, if they could find out who they were, which led right back to the first problem: they didn't know enough about the city.

Then Avi smiled slowly. "I have an idea. It's going to take some patience, and a little bit of good fortune, but not too much of either. Tonight, Aji will take us back to that building," she said, and outlined from there. After further discussion, they agreed it would likely work. They filed out of the peculiar little building, and went to a playground to pass some time in fighting practice, still seeking that next level, the one beyond just fighting as a group, interspersing those sessions with chacune pour soi tag games among the trees and the play structures. A few passersby saw the streaks of white and black arcing about the playground and moved on rather more quickly.

Later, the Daughters went to the range to practice with their new weapon, each taking turns with all of them. Then on to an athletic field for weapons work, and finally, once the sun was well down, on to the structure than housed Toil and Trouble. In the shadows near the top of the wall above the loading dock, they simply vanished, as they had been trained, and waited until a truck arrived. A swift scuttle took them through the loading door and into the storage area, where they hid themselves in the trusses that supported the ceiling. Above the lights, the Daughters would have been all but invisible even if someone had thought to look for them.

The handlers unloaded the truck, the pallets holding only boxes too small to contain people. That was fine; they could wait. Soon enough, the truck was emptied and the driver started up again, driving out a different door. Other trucks came and went, bearing innocuous cargos, until finally a small truck came in, and its cargo walked out, with forceful encouragement and the jangle of chains. The Daughters scampered across the ceiling and down, as low as they dared above the doorway out, then as the small truck pulled through, they dropped onto its roof, hoping that nobody had been looking in the right direction at the right time.

As he pulled out, the driver hesitated at the weird, hail-like sound from his roof, but drove on despite, not wanting to get the cargo handlers mad at him. They might take him off this run, and that would be a real bummer. The noise didn't repeat, so he continued on his way. Then the faces appeared. Ghostly white, glimpsed from the corner of the eyes whenever the streets were empty, gone when he looked at them directly or there were people around. He drove on, heading toward the truck lot, but the faces… the faces… He pulled into a parking lot to calm his nerves. The faces kept coming and going, and he climbed out of the truck to give whoever was behind this a piece of his mind. He's show them he wasn't scared of some cheap masks on strings! He stepped clear, and called out to the truck, "You can knock it off now! I'm not impressed!" Then shadows, too fast to follow, sprang from the truck's roof. "Flesh-trader," he heard in a harsh near-whisper. "Woman-seller," and "Pain-porter," as the shadows flashed in and out of visibility. "Tell us," interspersed with the accusations, and those horrid, pale faces, there and gone too fast to really see, shadowy blurs, dark comets out of nightmare tales, all around, too many to count, too fast to track.

Leaping to and from the lamp standards, the six masked Daughters kept their faces still, using their unmatched speed and quickness to prevent their target's getting a good look at them, keeping him turning around and around, not letting him recover his wits between accusations and demands. He was starting to tremble, and they did not relent. The Daughters of Darkness did not relent. "Take us," Aji added to the harsh near-whispers, and Ami quickly switched to "show us." Three accusations, three demands. Six ghostly faces and leaping shadows. He would break soon, they had no doubt.

The driver tried to turn quickly enough to get a good look at at least one of the haunting spirits, but he just couldn't. They were monsters, spirits, ghosts, demons! They couldn't be human or even alien! He fell to his knees, groaning. "You win! I'll take you to where I get the girls!" The voices said in chorus, "Yes," and silence fell. He looked around, and nothing. No shadows, no faces, nothing. Still shaking, her got into the cab, and drove, very slowly and very carefully, to the small warehouse that held the girls.

Once there, the Daughters sprang quickly to the walls, scurrying up, then in through a partly open skylight, hiding themselves the rafters above the lights. They listened to the driver try to explain that he'd been forced to go there by angry ghosts, and smiled slightly. His explanation was incoherent at first, but he finally managed to get it out clearly, and the personnel became noticeably more alert. From their perches in the rafters, the Daughters surveyed the warehouse. Fairly small, with the ground floor divided into currently empty sections by walls of what they now knew was called concrete, about ten feet high, each section with a front of linked metal and a door of the same, each containing a toilet, a mat and something they presumed to be a head rest for sleeping. Ashi smiled at that; these men were surprisingly considerate of their captives, a point in their favour. Perhaps it would be enough to scare them witless. They whispered together, then spread out throughout the rafters, each directly above a hanging light. At Ashi's signal, they began to speak in soft, harsh voices. "No more," they said. "Flesh-traders," they said. "Woman-sellers," they said. Ami and Avi spoke toward the walls, letting the echoes confuse the source of their voices further. "No more" was the most common refrain. Finally, one of them found his nerve, and demanded to know what would happen if they didn't comply. "No peace," the voices answered. "No rest," they said. "No coin," they said. Then came a demand to show themselves. The others looks to Ashi, who nodded and made a quick gesture.

At the boss' demand, the voices did show themselves. Streaks of darkness, pausing barely long enough for the men to resolve phantasmal suggestions of faces before shooting away. Then they were gone, vanished into some unguessable realm. "Boss, we can't fight ghosts!" one heavy said, pistol held in shaky hand.

"Are you more scared of ghosts," he demanded of his henchmen, "or Terhoun?" They considered that, and apparently settled on Terhoun, making attempts to come to alert.

That was their cue. At Ashi's sign, Ami drew her stun gun and a spare cell and tossed them to Aki. Then the girls sprang back into action, streaking by the men, barely close enough to brush them with a fingertip. And at each touch, a man dropped, courtesy of Aki in the rafters. Once they lay sprawled on the floor, the Daughters withdrew from the warehouse, making their way home from a bus stop near a park over a kilometre distant.


	22. Old? Acquaintances

Jack disembarked with a heavy, tired step. Two days of heavy work and catnaps were draining, and he needed the two days off to recover. On the positive side, the pay was excellent, the routine was doing wonders for his stamina, and he could honestly tell himself that he was doing good in the world; his work was honest, and he'd not saved a shipmate's life, but he'd spared a few from injury. After a stop to change at his apartment, he directed his steps toward a relatively upscale area, and entered a quiet-looking bar/restaurant. At the bar, he requested green tea, sipping it quietly while he listened to the patrons.

"What's good tonight?" He heard a voice, impossibly familiar, from just down the bar.

The bartender answered. "We've got something really special: pan-fried gulper, cut just this afternoon and kept on ice since. It's served with potato chips fried in gulper oil."

"Mmm," he heard, and "Sound delicious. I'll take it." The voice couldn't be the same person, not after so long. He glanced down the bar, and his heart nearly stopped. It was impossible, he knew it was impossible, yet he was seeing it! The same black hair, the same sharp features, the same jade-green skin, it was her. A growl escaped him, and he barely managed to rein himself in. When the bartender asked his order, he also chose the special, with a chocolate milkshake, his first in years. He ate quietly, watching the woman further down, departing just after she did. She turned a corner, and he turned. She was nowhere to be seen, but that meant nothing. Not if she was who he thought. He continued down the street, and she stepped directly in front of him from an alley.

"Who are you, and why are you following me?" she demanded. Her clothing this time was more conventional: Loose black pants, low boots, a high necked tunic that fit close in the torso and loose on the sleeves. It was her, every detail right!

He snarled. "Why do you think, 'Ikra?' You cannot think me so great a fool as to believe our meeting is mere chance."

The woman's face twisted into a mask of utter incomprehension. "Ikra? I'm not… " Then her eyes grew wide and her jaw dropped. "No… it can't be. You're… are you… I do not believe this! You're the samurai?"

His face was hard, his hand on the hilt of the tuning fork dagger. "You know perfectly well I am. Stop pretending, and stop wearing that shape! Your disguise does not deceive me."

"Disguise? What disguise? I'm… " Her hand (delicate-looking hand!) flew to her mouth, and the wideness of her eyes changed to fear. "Oh, no… " she whispered, and sped down the alley as though the very flames of the Pit of Hate licked at her heels.

Jack took off in pursuit, following her every attempt to evade him. She jumped up along ledges of bricked-over windows, and he leapt after. She sprinted across rooftops, and he pursued. She leapt across alleyways and he sprang after her. She ran to the edge of a roof and stopped, then spun to face him, her body language screaming a message of desperation and fear. He did not slow.

The woman fell to her knees, "No, I'm not Aku!" she screamed, and he paused, knife high. "Please, please, samurai," she managed to get out, her voice shaking with terror. "Let me explain."

"Kill her!" Mad Jack screamed. "You said it yourself, this can't be a coincidence! The dagger's got magic, maybe it can hurt him. Sure, it might not be enough, but this is too good a chance to miss! Do it, do it now!" "No… no, I do not believe this is Aku. Would that proud creature act so? Beg for his life? Flee as a human flees?" "He's cunning, treacherous, you know that, you've seen it, you've fought him enough!" "But he's never taken a weak form. A mighty fighter, a powerful wizard, but not an ordinary person. And certainly not one who would fear me!" "So what? he's got a new trick! It's too dangerous, kill her!" "I spared Aki and her sisters, who were a greater threat, I will not kill this woman!" Mad Jack screamed in frustration, then fell silent, glaring disapproval at him.

The samurai had lost his mind, it was the only explanation, and that meant she was truly doomed. So she stayed very still, hoping he'd kill her quickly. Then the unexpected happened: he spoke to her.

"Speak quickly: who are you, how does it happen you look so like that one, and why were you in that place?"

She dared not look up. "My name is Rima. Ikra's my grandmother, whose name and tale Aku stole when he deceived the samurai into leading him to the Jewel of Charta. I was there for dinner, nothing more! I live in this city, and go there sometimes. It's a normal hour for dinner, please don't kill me!"

He said nothing for several long moments. Then his voice came again. "Stand." She stood, head down, and said nothing. "Go down to the street. I will direct you to a place we will speak." She obeyed, not daring to hesitate, and they came to a very small temple, or by perspective very large shrine, just large enough to hold two people. At his order, she entered, and he followed, closing the door behind them. "Now, you will explain in more detail."

Rima swallowed hard. "When Aku took the form of Ikra, he did not invent everything. The real Ikra is my grandmother, and she really was a mighty fighter. And my great-grandfather really does lie trapped in a ring of fire for attempting rebellion against Aku. But my grandmother never met you. In all her life, she's never left our nation, and certainly never been to that desert." She looked down. "I'll take any test you want. Your sword would burn and sear Aku, but it would only cut me. I'm no innocent, samurai, I've fought and when I had to, killed, but I'm no demon, just a woman whose ancestors came from another star."

Mad Jack humphed, then went wherever he went. "That will not be needed," Jack said. "The true Aku would never submit to any test, for he would know he could not pass it. My apologies, Rima, for frightening you so."

"Apologies accepted, samurai," she answered.

"You move very well," he said.

"My people were outcasts of our own world, and had to fight for a place here, and then to keep that place ours, as far as any place can be anyone's under the rule of Aku. We've kept up the tradition of being able to fight when we must. Some few of us even fight with magic. But I'm not good enough to face you, samurai, and there's no shame in fleeing a fight you can't win."

He nodded to that. "Very true. It is a lesson many learn too late."

Rima smirked a little. "I've met a few like that."

"Tell me of your home?"

Rima smiled a bit. "It's a beautiful city. Y'hanath of the Pillars, a wonder of glass in a thousand shades." Her gaze became unfocussed. "Five hundred years ago, our people came here from a world… how much do you know about astronomy?"

"Enough to steer by the stars," he answered.

Rima nodded. "You call our homeward Mizar IV. Not a long way, as interstellar distances go. A few weeks even on a slow ship. The trip, I'm told, was pretty routine. It was on arrival that things became difficult for my ancestors. Everywhere they tried to establish, they were chased out. Finally, they found a place on the edge of a desert, with sand on one side, mountains on the other, and not a drop of water or a blade of grass for kilometres. That is, until they used the ship's lasers to cut channels to lakes in the mountains, and get water flowing to the site. Then, they turned the guns on the sand, intending to fuse it into glass and cut that into bricks. But something strange happened; the sand began to bubble, and heave, and rose in hollow spires of glass. Site by site, they turned the sand into spires, and that became Y'hanath. The first people to move in… well, they died. The spires were unliveable; they concentrated sunlight into lethal beams. But that became a blessing once they set up solar panels to use them. Water meant food, food meant comfort, and we started trading our food surplus for metals. We didn't have our ship; we'd only rented it, and it had taken itself back home. Naturally, a wealthy oasis in a desert drew would-be conquerors, so we had to fight. We're still ready to fight to defend ourselves. Our black blades are almost unequalled, able to cut through nearly anything if they're swung hard enough. We don't sell them."

She sighed heavily. "But nobody is free under Aku. He sent his drones and robots in numbers we couldn't defeat, and so we surrendered. The only good thing, if you care to call it that, was that Aku uses robots, and there are certain indignities robots don't commit. So my great-grandfather tried to foment rebellion, and failed. Aku himself showed up, and the battle was over. Our black blades could hurt him, a little, but not nearly enough. They just made him mad, and after he broke our army, he cast great-grandfather into a pit, where he lives to this day on a small island of rock in a sea of flame. We tried not giving him food or water, hoping he'd die that way. He didn't. We've managed to lower a few simple comforts to him by crane, but we can't get him out, and those flames won't go out while Aku lives."

Jack listened in silence. It was too believable, that Aku would take the name and form of someone whose reputation he wished to blacken. "So, why do you live here?"

She shrugged. "I wanted to go somewhere different. Y'hanath is beautiful, but I wanted to see other lands. Prairies, oceans, farms… "

"Farms?" Jack asked. "How can you not have farms?"

Rima smiled. "I've been asked that a lot. My people never invented agriculture; we started with sylviculture and went from there. Our food comes from managed forests and from herds of beasts. To us, fresh fruit and well-aged meats are staples; bread is an exotic luxury."

Very strange, Jack thought. But it did sound like it worked for them. "So that is why you are here. An ocean port with mountains and prairies nearby."

She nodded. "And distinct seasons, and a huge variety of people from across the cosmos. I just hope I live long enough to see Aku's end."

Jack nodded to that. "My apologies for frightening you earlier."

She smiled a little. "It's all right. I can see why you did it; too much coincidence to believe."

He nodded to that. "Far too much." Then he frowned in thought. "If your ancestors' ship could cut through mountains, how could they be chased away from any place they chose?"

"The ship's lasers were mining lasers, not military. They didn't have the kind of targeting servos you need on the battlefield. And as I said, it was a rental. They couldn't settle somewhere they'd need to depend on it for defence."

Jack pushed open the shrine door. "After you?" Rima stepped out, and he after her. "I am pleased to have met you, Rima."

"Thank you, samurai. Perhaps I'll see you again some time." Her smile was clearly forced, but the effort was sincere.

His smile was less forced. "Perhaps." And with that, they went their separate ways.

The next day, Jack returned to the shops, going from one to another, carefully considering various possibilities. Fortunately, the shopgirls were willing to give advice once he explained the situation to them.


	23. Catch and Release

The girls returned to the warehouse that night, entering this time by a window high up on the wall, a window none could reach who could not climb smooth metal. It was empty of merchandise, they saw, but not empty of people. Two people were there, wearing coveralls and blue shirts and heavy shoes, sweeping and mopping, cleaning carefully and thoroughly. Behind their masks, the Daughters smiled approvingly; the Cult of Aku spend many hours each day in cleaning the temple and it was good to see such care was considered desirable in the greater world. They quietly departed, leaving the two to their work, and went to the same shop where they had purchased their guns. They had finally agreed on what to get the samurai for Solstice, and that was their first stop. Walking the streets, they were finally starting to allow the warm looks and pretty decorations of blue and silver and deep green (and sometimes other colours) warm their spirits. Birds in nests, families gathered around little pieces of furniture holding what they presumed to be extremely young children, trees with bright boxes under them and bright baubles on their branches. Old people reading to little children holding objects that seemed meant to represent people or other creatures while only somewhat resembling them. The fur-clad man with his staff, stern and wise and yet somehow gentle. The scenes were hard to understand, but from the reactions of others, the Daughters of Darkness knew they were meant to be uplifting, and it was impossible not to compare these images to their memories of the Long Night ceremonies.

When they returned to their room, the first thing they did was to spend a time in meditation upon their new idol, and the second was to pile together in a warm, shared embrace. The red-orange light filtering through the curtains was enough for them to see well, and it was such a nice, homey colour. After a little while in each other's arms, they broke apart and resumed their rehearsals for the Solstice special, only a few days away. By now, they could read the script through without going into a giggle fit, so it was all work on timing and delivery; they'd been advised to present it as seriously as their temple plays, and let the humour come from the contrast between the script and the performance.

In the morning they performed their meditations are other needed routines before making their way to the theatre. Odd, Avi thought. I'm not cold this time. The wind was strong, but it wasn't biting through her darksuit as it had before. She didn't ask the others about that yet, simply enjoyed her breakfast in the green room. Like her sisters, she'd come to favour teas entirely over plain water. The sisters chatted with the other performers when not rehearsing for Solstice, and there were their regular performances, well-received as the shorter ones, more than enough to keep them happily occupied.

Whet their day was done, they headed, by circuitous means, to the warehouse they had found before. This time, they slipped in by a window just under the roof line, and again concealed themselves in the rafters. A quick look around showed the cells filled with young women, curled on the mats. One of the men unlocked a cell, and a second snapped a whip at the girl within. "Out!" he barked, and the girl stood quickly, trying to cover herself with her arms. Then, "You were warned. No more," came a sourceless, echoing voice, a dozen at once it seemed. The half dozen men looked around, and the girls quickly withdrew to the corners of their cells as the voices continued. "No more," they said, and "no coin," and "no joy." The leader quickly pulled a gun the sisters didn't recognize, and as a streak of darkness brushed past him, dropped to the floor, falling as gracefully as a load of bricks. The other men soon joined him, and the girls saw more dark, fast-moving streaks with horrid, pale faces settle over the men and disappear, the men with them. Strange sounds came from the rafters, and the streaks appeared and vanished once more, leaving piles of clothing this time. "Yours," the voice came once more. "Now go," the whisper said, over and over. The former captives were not slow to follow the instructions, the one with the open cell quickly finding the keys to the other cells. They dressed, albeit minimally, and ran for their lives from the warehouse.

In the rafters, the Daughters smiled, and departed quickly, leaving the naked men where they were. They'd be found. Eventually. But for now, the Daughters simply took a different roundabout route to a playground, then to the firing range. Daily practice was essential, after all.

The girls continued to haunt the warehouse, carefully not leaving tracks on the way to or from, happily finding no new shipments, or new personnel. Back in their room after the third day, Avi spoke up. "They'll get more shipments in. Next time, if they have the same men, we'll have to kill them. And track back the shipment to its source." The others looked to each other, and to Ashi.

She nodded sharply. "If there is another shipment, the men at the building die, and we question the captives and start haunting the people who brought them here. This must end." The others nodded sharply, then after their evening's meditations, arranged themselves for sleep. The red-orange light, the springy wood floor, and best of all, the warmth of each other soon had them peacefully asleep.


	24. Third Strike

Solstice was approaching, but the Daughters were in no state to relax; even by their standards, their days were packed. Performances, rehearsals, practices, squeezing in a bit of shopping where there could, and most importantly, the warehouse. They would not allow another shipment to get out. Or in, if they could help it. The day before the Solstice found them on the roof, waiting. Their patient vigil finally yielded results: Another small truck approaching. Aji, Ami and Avi eeled through the skylight, and took up positions in the rafters while the other sisters continued to watch the guards and truck. The guards let the driver in, then went in with him, and not long after, the driver backed out, and turned around. By the time he was done, he had some new passengers.

The men inside paced across, along and around the warehouse. "I hate waiting," one of them growled. "Shouldn't the new shipment be here already?" Another suggested it was probably just a traffic delay. The door opened practically on cue, the driver hopping down from the cab. He spoke while he walked. "Got a couple really special items this time, offworlders. There's care instructions on their cages." He opened the back door, and pulled a long string of floating cages from out of the back. The warehouse men took over the handling the of the cages, floating them over the kennel cells before letting the merchandise fall the short distance to the mats. They floated the cages back into the truck, making comments on the new arrivals the girls really didn't understand, then the driver departed. One he was gone and the door closed behind him, the warehouse lights went out, and in the sudden darkness, the Daughters held the winds and dragons. The stun gun shivered against Ami's palm as she shot each man once, twice, and again. She drained three cells in the doing, but the men would never again hurt anyone. Avi searched the men for their keys, placing them near a cell door while Aji quickly stripped the cooling corpses. Before the captives eyes' could adjust sufficiently to the darkness, the Daughters were gone.

Outside, Ashi and the others leapt onto the top of the odd truck, laying flat to avoid being spotted. The driver pulled away smoothly, merged with traffic, and headed for the harbour. The immense piers and ships were astonishing, the huge cranes incomprehensible, the entire complex a jumble of meaningless activity. But they could make out one pattern: The cranes picked out containers from trucks and odd close-packed things that looked like trucks with no fronts, then put them on ships, or the other way around. They barely managed to jump clear before a crane grabbed their container. They watched it swung onto a ship, then took advantage of the complex lighting and abundant shadows to get to the ground without being spotted. They stowed their masks, and after some searching found a few workers on break. "Excuse me," Ashi said. "Who's in charge around here? We'd like to know a little about some of the vessels. It's for a play we're working on." The men looked to each other, then looked the girls over, and one of them told them where to go. She thanked him, and she and her sisters carefully made their way to the harbourmaster's office.

Aki knocked, then let herself into the little office while the others stayed outside, their masks back on. "Good evening, sir." she said to the harbourmaster, a round little fellow, going a bit bald. He looked up to her, and asked how he could help. "We're preparing for a play that involves sea travel, and we don't know anything about it, so we were wondering if we could talk to someone. Is the Watsuman fairly typical? It looks… not big, not small, but I don't know much about this. We grew up in the mountains."

He ran his fingers over the flat object before him. "The Watsuman… yeah, it's a pretty typical mid-range freighter. Maybe you ought to talk to the captain. Don't know exactly where he is, but check the bars in the area, you'll find him." He gave her the man's name.

She smiled and thanked him, then stepped out to share the information. The others nodded, and after moving away from the office, leapt onto a shadowed rooftop, hiding themselves in tho darkness. Their whispers barely enough for them to hear each other over the sounds of the harbour, they discussed their options. "The simplest method would be to each take… how much area do we have to cover anyway?" Ashi asked.

"Eight blocks, one side," Ari answered. "But we don't need to be quiet about it. Everyone knows we're performers and fighters, nobody has a reason to connect the Daughters of Darkness with these hauntings. If we ask about freighter captains openly, that's all the less reason to suspect us. Why would a ghost need to ask anyone questions? Especially if we don't ask for Captain Englehorn specifically."

Ashi considered, and glanced to Aki and Adi. They nodded agreement, and so did she. "Two blocks each. We meet back atop… that building there, the one with the glowing numbers on the side." The others nodded, and they all made their quick, quiet way down to the ground, careful not to be seen.

They started walking down the bar side of the street. Aki turned in the first they came too, with Ashi, Ari and Adi each taking a section as they went further down. Aki turned into the first, the "Black Eel" according to its sign. Within, it was a very different place from the dockside bar: that one had been all dark wood and dim light, this one was light wood, bright lights, green soft floor, and yellow metal. There was a man behind the bar who smiled to her.

"Come in, come in. Would you like a seat at the bar, or take a table?"

She smiled to him. "Neither. I'm… well, I'm maybe going to help developing a play. But it's on a ship that carries things, what do you call those? and I grew up in the mountains. Could you tell me who here runs a ship like that?"

He shook his head. She really was ignorant about the sea. "It's called a freighter. There's plenty of freighter captains here, like in that booth over there," and he pointed to a half-circle of seating around a table, with five men around it, all similar-looking with weathered faces and heavy clothes. They looked over and waved, and shuffled a little to make room enough for the slender girl on one end.

"Thank you," she said politely, and when asked if she'd had dinner, said she hadn't, and accepted the subsequent offer, choosing a dish she didn't know but which sounded interesting. After introductions, she asked various questions, and received answers; they asked a few of her, which she was able to answer without quite saying who she had once worshipped. She excused herself, and went to the next place, asking much the same of the barman and receiving much the same answers, but this time she chose to follow up some of the answers with more questions, hoping to learn a little bit more about boats in general, or at least enough to understand talk about them. Eventually, she united back with her sisters atop the building with numbers. "Did you find out anything?" she asked them, and they pooled their information.

"Captain Englehorn does a run every week," Ashi said. "But he takes a few weeks off after Solstice. The seas are too bad, he says."

"I asked about human cargo at one point," Ari told her. "I said it was a part of the play I didn't understand, and the captain I asked told me about it. He said they're called slaves, the trade's pretty disreputable, and most captains who move slaves don't even know it. It's not a very big trade in any one place, he told me."

Adi smiled. "I didn't learn a lot, but I did learn that captains don't normally check the inside of containers, just that the numbers on their cargo lists match the ones on the outsides."

Ashi's smile was more a smirk. "So, it sounds like we can take a few more weeks, keep haunting the warehouse. Then we can start tracing back to wherever they get the people in the first place. Do you think the samurai will help us?"

The others considered, then nodded. "We should ask him about this tomorrow. I hope he won't mind us visiting."

Ashi smiled, and leaned over to give Aki a gentle hug, then Ari and Adi joined them before they returned to their room, where they caught up with the others prior to meditation and sleep.


	25. Simple Joys

In his apartment, Jack had set a pot of water on to boil for his miso when a knock came at the door. Frowning in puzzlement, he open the door to seven familiar faces wearing unfamiliar expressions of happiness. As he watched, they began to sing a cheerful song about the horrors of the Solstice and he began to smile, and then to laugh, a genuine laugh, the sort he had not had in too long. He invited them in. "I did not know you could sing," he commented.

"We work in a theatre. We've learned a few things," Ashi said. "And we've come to wish you happy Solstice and ask if you'd like us to stay the day. You said Solstice Day is for friends and family, and we're not sure if you really think of us as friends, but we were hoping you might. We brought enough food for everyone for the day," she added.

Jack gaped a bit, then finally smiled. "I would be pleased to call you friends," he said with a smile. "Would you like me to make breakfast for us all?"

She smiled back. "Thank you, samurai. We'll put our food away." And the seven took turns at producing various foods and stowing them in various reasonable-seeming places in the kitchen.

Once that was attended to, Jack took some time to see what they had brought. "This will take some time. You have brought many different breakfast dishes."

"We can wait, samurai," one of the sisters assured him.

With his back to them, he wasn't sure which. "Call me Jack. It is the name the people of this time gave me."

"Thank you, Jack," he heard them chorus. Strange, strange girls. Still, they were trying to learn and grow, and hoping to count him "friend" was far better than counting him "target." So he busied himself with the preparing of the various breakfast foods they'd brought. Some needed heating, some only plating, and only the pancakes required actual cooking. It was not too long before the meal was ready; he found the Daughters arranged around the square table, with eight places laid. He set the dishes in the centre, and took his place beside Ashi. A brief thanks, and they began their meal. "I must ask: how much can you girls carry in your… your shadows?"

Ari swallowed a piece of breakfast muffin. "About ten kilograms each. We were just able to bring all of this by spreading it among ourselves. Along with our weapons, of course, and your gifts."

Ami's eyes were nearly shut in rapture, and her wordless sounds spoke volumes of her appreciation of the meal.

"I take it you are enjoying the meal?" he said lightly.

"Yes, samu… Jack," Aji corrected herself. "We grew up on meat and nuts and fruits and berries, with only the meat usually cooked. This 'bread' stuff is still very new to us."

"Where did you get your food? You speak as if your temple is quite isolated."

"It is," Aki said. "It is surrounded by a great forest, and the sisters hunt and gather from that forest."

Ah, that explained much. No doubt they traded forest products for cloth and metal goods. "It sounds a very austere life."

They nodded as one. "It was," Ami said. "Our new room is much nicer, with a nice, springy wood floor. It's even better than the forest floor, especially since we've started sleeping in a huddle." She smiled softly. "It's wonderful."

Aji nodded. "Between the warmth from the furnace and the red curtains on the window, it's like the nice parts of our chamber at the temple only better."

"Especially since we have a new idol now," Adi added. "Instead of a carving of Aku, it's an abstract representation of the universe. We don't pray to it now, we meditate on it."

Jack smiled broadly. "Wonderful! I am so very pleased to hear that you are making new and better lives for yourselves." Inwardly though, he was again distressed to realize how miserable their childhood must have been for such small comforts to be such an improvement.

They ate quietly, but not silently. The Daughters had many questions, mostly about the foods, and when the meal was done, Avi and Ashi went to clean up. Once they returned, Ashi took her seat. "I think we had more kinds of food in this one meal than we had in all our lives in the temple."

Jack nodded to that. "That is very believable. If I may ask, how long did you dwell in the temple?"

Aji answered him. "Mother said that the Long Night came and went twice between the time we were born and the time we were given our suits. We've seen fourteen Long Nights since then, and this is our first Solstice, so seventeen years and a few months."

So young, he thought. Younger even than he when he began his mission. Yet already they were hardened killers, by their own statements. A question from one of them pulled him from his own thoughts. "Ah, yes. Gifts. Normally, they are given after breakfast."

The Daughters rose in unison, and one by one produced their gifts from their shadows. "Since we destroyed your arsenal, we thought we ought to replace it," Ashi said. One by one, the girls presented their gifts.

From Ami, "Since you do not want to kill people." Her boxes held a stun gun, and additional cells.

"For those you choose to destroy, or must kill," Adi said as she gave him a laser carbine and cells.

Avi produced a bow and a quiver of arrows. "The traditional main weapon of the samurai, or so we've read."

He smiled at that. "It was. Thank you," and he set it aside with the guns.

"You're very welcome," she said with a smile. "The quiver has hunting points, fowling tips, and frog crotch arrows."

"Thank you very much," he said, gladdened and impressed.

Aji pulled a charger. "Two barrels, four slots. You can charge everything at once from almost any source."

Ari's gift was simple, and a bit suspicious: a sword care kit. Oil, stone, powder, cloth, applicator, very finely made in a plain, sturdy box.

He narrowed his eyes at Aki's gift of a sword stand, but carefully selected a place for it, and set the care kit before it.

Finally, Ashi presented her gift, and his face cleared as he opened the box. A daisho and tanto! He rose, and drew the katana, examining the workmanship and testing its balance. "The tsuba is… not what I would have expected."

Ashi smiled. "I know it's not traditional, but it seem appropriate. Aku's head run through with your sword. I know we can never replace your sacred blade, but until you regain it, this will do, I hope."

He tested the sword for balance and heft, and smiled brightly. "It is a magnificent gift. They are all superb gifts, and I thank you for them." They said he was welcome in chorus, then he went to the small closet. "I have gifts for you as well," and he withdrew several shallow boxes with lids. "You have never had anything to wear but your darksuits, and such lovely young ladies should have at least something in the way of a wardrobe."

One by one, each girl took a box, and after some puzzlement, managed to don the contents. The shoes had been particularly mystifying, but in the end, the girls wore over their darksuits close fitting shorts that came a bit below the crotch, loose, sleeveless tops that came a bit below the bottom of their busts, and kung fu slippers with sturdy soles with cutaways to expose the toes and the ball of the foot, each in a different colour. By the time they agreed on who preferred which colour, Ashi had picked green, Ami blue, Avi red, Aki white, Ari yellow, Aji purple, and Adi grey. Jack smiled at the sight. By themselves, the clothes would have been at least slightly indecent, but over the girls' darksuits they made charming accent pieces, and the shoes would be useful. Ashi plucked at her top. "What's it for?"

Jack frowned in puzzlement. "It is… to look nice." Then an inspiration struck. "And to be honest, you will likely draw less attention this way. Many young women wear dark sheaths, but few wear only sheaths."

Ashi smiled. "Thank you!"

Poor girls, he thought again. Had they never had anything that was simply for enjoyment? No, probably not. Ascetic cult. "And what have you been doing, beyond your work at the theatre?"

"Well, it all started one day when we decided to spend some time apart," Ashi said, and told him about the slave ring they were working to break up. He stared at them, his mouth slowly coming open. "Truly? You have done very well for those around you! You have my compliments!"

"Jack," Ami asked, "have you dealt with such a thing before?"

He considered, and nodded. "Yes, once. I was captured, and forced to fight for others' entertainment until I could regain my sword. That business is no longer in business. But I have never sought out evil as you have, never followed it to its source; I have dealt with simpler evils, and there has never been a shortage of those."

She nodded. "We'll be keeping an eye on the warehouse, and when the warm weather comes back, we'll try to track down the suppliers. Will you help us?"

"I would be very…" "The word you want is stupid! You've said it yourself, they're hardened, blooded killers, and probably still want you dead!" "No!" he shouted in the general direction of Ari, though he didn't seem to be addressing her. "If they still sought that, why would they have replaced my weapons? They have publicly renounced Aku, found a new idol, and actively seek to do good in the world!" "They're still the most dangerous opponents we've ever fought, it's just too risky to even think about travelling with them!" "They are trying to change their path!" "Yes, and how often does that work? They'll just slide back into their old ways, return to what they grew up with, and you'll be dead." "That is a risk I must face, I cannot simply avoid it!" "Maybe you shouldn't! We could finally join our ancestors! But we probably won't; you've lost your honour!" "Enough! I must do this, for their sakes, my own, and the many these flesh-peddlers will destroy!" Mad Jack screamed in frustration, and stormed out of the apartment. Jack winced at the door's slam.

As soon as he shouted, the girls sprang back from the low table, hands on their weapons, ready to pull them from their darkness. "I am sorry you had to see that," Jack said, voice low, head hung in shame.

"If you don't mind saying… what just happened?" Aki asked. "Are you possessed? We did grow up in a temple, perhaps we could help?"

He shook his head. "It is not that. For a person to be alone too long can do unfortunate things to the mind, and I have been alone for a very long time." Ami rose and slowly moved behind him, resting against his back; Avi and Ari joined her, holding him from either side.

"We've learned that holding each other helps us a lot," Ami said. "Perhaps it can help you a little."

He stiffened at first, then slowly relaxed slightly. "Thank you," he said, and a few moments later, put his arms lightly around Avi and Ari. The tension in the room slowly eased, and at last the girls sat back from Jack, and gathered around the table.

"A few nights ago, we finally took the time to actually look at the Solstice decorations, and we found them… puzzling. Some were just strange to us, like a person with a wrinkled face reading to children holding… well, things that looked like animals, but didn't look like them. But some made no sense at all. A stern-looking man in clothes the colour of fresh blood, strange-looking animals in cups of sticks. People gathering around a piece of furniture with what we guessed were very young children. Can you help us understand?" Aji all but pleaded.

Jack sighed in contentment. "I will be happy to. The person with the wrinkled face would be the parent of the parent of the children, what is called a grandparent. A grandparent is normally a very special person in a child's life. I take it you did not know your grandmother."

They shook their heads. "Mother never spoke of her mother," Ami said.

Jack nodded to that, unsurprised. "The strange things the children hold are called toy animals. They are soft things that children enjoy holding, for warmth and comfort." They all smiled at that, and Jack continued. "The strange animals are called birds; they are covered with what are called feathers, and the cup of sticks is called a nest. The particular birds you saw are called doves, and they represent peace, love and caring." The girls nodded their understanding. "The man in red is… on this night, some believe the forces of darkness are abroad, and there are many protector figures. The red man is one of these, the most commonly seen in this area."

They smiled at that. "Thank you," said Ashi, her voice solemn. "We too were taught the forces of darkness are strongest during the Long Night. It is good to know that there are forces to stand against them."

"There are," he assured them. "And the other decorations are also held to help, by representing all the things that repulse the dark powers: love and caring, hope and joy, friends and family, new life. That last is what the family scene is for, people coming together to celebrate a new life. The very small one is a baby, the youngest person of all."

"Thank you," Aji said to him. "This is all so strange." Her eyes went wide on sudden realization. "If the the forces of darkness are truly strongest tonight, then surely we will be needed!"

Jack shook his head. "No, they are no more common tonight than any night, not physically. Spiritually, yes, but we can do no more than we are already doing. But it is good of you to have thought of protecting others." And they turned their minds to other things, stories the girls had heard or read, tales Jack knew, lunch and in due course dinner. They sparred as well, one on one, two on two, four on four, and at one point, three on three, with Jack and Ashi observing. He couldn't help noticing their near total lack of covering for and assisting each other. Why were they so poor at it when they had trained together from birth? Surely no trainer could be so inept as to be unaware of something so basic! Or could one? He thought back to their first fight, and realized that though they had attacked in sequence, they had attacked individually. Never had two come at him at once, and just as well.

The hour grew late, the food done and the dishes cleaned and put away. "Jack," Ashi asked, "do you wish to spend the night by yourself?"

He considered, then shook his head. "No, not really."

She smiled. "Where do you sleep?" she asked, and he slid open a door to a relatively wide alcove. She looked it over. "It will do. We've come to like sleeping very close."

Jack gave her a dubious look. Clearly she had no idea what she was suggesting. "I doubt we will all fit," he said, but by her considering look, he could tell she would not drop the subject without making a trial of it, so he pulled the futon from the shelf in the alcove and laid it out. He laid down, and the girls joined him, with Ashi and Aki behind and before. To his great surprise, the last three didn't even hesitate to crawl in and lay down atop their sisters and him. He could not help having decidedly impure thoughts about the situation.

The girls slid out, and removed their new clothes. "If you're comfortable with it, I thought it was nice," Aki said to him, looking to her sisters for their feelings. Judging by the smiles, they agreed with her. "It's your choice, Jack," she said.

Oh dear. This was awkward. If they spent the night, it would almost certainly lead to difficult questions, but if he declined, it could set back their amazing progress. So, which was more important? Preserving their innocence, such as it was, or encouraging their social improvement? And, much as he hated to admit it, deny himself the pleasure of their company? He saw the strain in their faces, even rising fear. "You may stay the night." And was rewarded with bright smiles.

One by one, they used the little bathroom to ready themselves for bed; Jack removed the covering futon, and explained its function to the girls. They nodded in understanding, but also looked a bit dubious. Still, they had their instructions. Jack slid in first, then Ashi and Aki behind and before, Avi and Ari outside of them, and finally Ami, Adi and Aji on the top. The last three spread the top futon over them all, and slid the door of the alcove shut. The fit was a bit tight, but not jam-packed.

Ami giggled a bit. "Mother would be furious if she saw this. 'How dare you comfort our Lord's greatest enemy? On your knees, beg his forgiveness!'"

"No, no, no," Aji replied. "it would be 'Kill him, kill him now!' then after the fight she'd have us beg forgiveness."

The other girls giggled at that. "Then she'd probably spend a full day apologizing to the idol for being so lax and careless with us," Adi added.

"Only one?" Avi asked in mock disbelief.

"You're right. She's much too devout for that. Make it six."

Ashi said to Jack, "Six is Aku's sacred number, according to Mother. We're starting to think she doesn't know very much about Aku."

Jack was actually starting to relax, and to smile slightly. "I think you are right." This was surprisingly pleasant, he and the girls so close. And the feel of Ashi against his back and himself against Aki's was particularly pleasant, especially with the last three sisters atop them. "A happy Solstice to you all," he said. They returned the sentiment, and gradually, they drifted off.

"So, not quite so pure as you like to think, are you?" Mad Jack demanded as they faced each other in a weird cross between a dojo and and a bordello. "I have never denied they are attractive young women. And yes, I do enjoy the closeness and warmth." "And you want get a whole lot closer, don't you?" Jack scowled at him. "They are my students, it would be entirely improper. And even if I did try to do such things with Aki, I am quite sure that Ashi, Ami and Adi would do their best to beat me unconscious," he said with dry humour. "They're the finest chaperones they could ask." "I still don't trust them, and you know why. I'm just not sure if you're actually trying to get us killed out of guilt, or out of a craving for tail. Of course, they do have mighty fine…" "Enough! I will not allow the showing of disrespect to my students, especially by myself!" Mad Jack just smirked before the dream dissolved.

The next morning, Jack was wakened by the upper Daughters sliding carefully out. Their sisters followed, and he chose to feign sleep a bit longer, to give them a little time to themselves.

"Ashi?" Aki asked reluctantly. "If… if Jack had killed me in that fight, what would you have done?"

Ashi hugged her sister close. "We would taken your body outside, so you could rest under the sky. And in our prayers, we would have commended your spirit to Aku."

Aki sighed in contentment. "Thank you." The seven gathered for a group hug, then turned to the "sleeping" man. "Thank you, Jack, for allowing us privacy."

He sat up. "You are welcome." Allowing privacy? What did they mean by that? "Did you sleep well?"

They all smiled. "We did," Ashi said, then Aki spoke. "I felt something poke me a few times. Is that normal for men?"

Jack frowned in thought a moment. then smiled, keeping a blush from his face with considerable effort. "Yes. It is entirely involuntary, and quite harmless."

"For allowing us to share our first Solstice with you, and for letting us stay the night, thank you," Ashi said to him. Then the rest chorused their own thanks and all of them bowed in unison. "Come to our theatre?" she invited. "The shows start fairly soon, you should have just enough time for breakfast and the walk without rushing. Don't worry about us, breakfast is part of our contract."

He returned the bow. "You were entirely welcome, and may come again whenever you please."

They bowed once more, and vanished their new clothes before filing out.


	26. On With the Show

Jack took his time at his own breakfast, not rushing or dawdling, an unaccustomed smile on his lips. It had been a pleasant day and night, he realized. After his breakfast and some consideration, he chose to equip himself with the tanto, daisho, and stun pistol the girls had given him. He made his way to the theatre, and noticed people were looking at him differently, some with worry, others with speculation. He was unsurprised, accepting. People had always looked at him so. At the theatre, he bought his ticket, and found a good seat, settling into its pleasant softness. First, as he had expected, was a series of short comic sketches, then a dramatic one-act play, then several singers interspersed with other performances, each getting various amounts of applause. Another one-act play came on, this one a comedy about a happy, good-hearted family trying to put together a fine, elegant Solstice dinner with all the classic decorations and dishes, and utterly failing. He endured the truly horrid room-clearer "comic" who followed the play, finding the performance strangely intriguing. Such amazing badness could not possibly have resulted from mere ineptitude. After that fellow came a few more singers, including a rock and tree who made up a two-creature choir of at least ten voices, sketch performers, and dancers, including an exceptionally shapely young woman in blue not-quite-nothing and elaborate silver chains and shackles. Her dance was quite amazing, athletic of course, yet surprisingly understated in its eroticism, given the performer's attire. The Daughters came on not long after her, their play set first in the Pit of Hate, with Aku scheming to win the hearts of the people by taking the role of a supernatural gift-giver. Then there were scenes of Aku attempting to design fine gifts for his minions to produce and distribute; the results, though delightful to Aku's distorted sensibilities, were not the sort of things a child would appreciate. Over the course of the play, the daughters took many roles: Aku, his minions, children, parents, aggressive gifts, gift-wreckers. Eventually, the play ended with many wrecked presents and Aku going off in a huff, to the audience' vast delight. The sheer ridiculousness of the idea of Aku as a gift-giver made the perfect contrast to the dead serious performance the Daughters brought to every part, except of course the inherently hammy Aku himself. Another room-clearer, this one a singer, made Jack wish he could justify using his stun gun. He barely endured it, then departed when he recognized the next act.

He knocked at the stage door, where the bouncer told him to get lost. "No," he said, calm but firm. "Tell Ashi that Jack with the swords is here. She will wish to see me, I am sure." The bouncers grunted, then shut the door.

Not too much later, Ashi and her sisters all came out into the narrow lane, faces wreathed in smiles. "You came!" Aki said as she hugged him happily, then stepped back. "Did you like the play? Did we do well? I was a little worried about how well Ashi handled Aku, is he really like that?"

He returned the smile. "I did like it, very much, and your performances were very good. Perhaps a bit understated for Aku. He sounds much like this," Jack said and cleared his throat before booming out in a good approximation of his old foe's voice, "FOOOO-lish samuRAI! HOW CAN You hope to defeat the imMORtal AKU and his ALL-enshrouding AKUNESS!?"

They looked to each other and burst out laughing. "Mother needs to hear that. We worshipped Aku as a stern, distant and very dignified being."

Jack shook his head. "He is many things, including terrifyingly dangerous, but distant and dignified are not among them. If your mother had known, she could have gone to visit him in person, in the very Pit of Hate. He accepts personal visits from his minions and subjects, and even has a telephone." He then had to explain telephones.

The girls looked as if someone had smacked them in the back of the head with a board. "Mother could have…" Aji said, then trailed off, unable to reconcile Jack's calm, factual statement with a lifetime of regarding Aku as a distant, unreachable being. She chose to distract herself with other matters. "Come back around sunset. There are some acts that only do two performances a day, and today, they're doing one each, this evening. With sketches between them."

He smiled to them. "Thank you. I will. After the last performance, would you like to come over to my apartment again for tea, and perhaps sparring?"

They bowed to him. "We would be honoured," Aki said. "Thank you. We should get back in before the manager gets upset." And with that, Jack went his way and the Daughters, theirs.

Jack wandered the streets, observing the festivities, occasionally buy a cup of something or a few bites of something else. As he approached one stage, a man with a loud voice called to him.

"Hey, you with the swords! Do you know how to use those?" he asked.

"I am proficient," Jack answered in his usual calm, measured voice.

The loud man grinned. "Oh, that voice is great! Get up here, you're our samurai for this performance."

Jack frowned. Performance? Ah, yes. He'd heard of such things, semi-improvised plays with passersby recruited as performers. Well, why not? He certainly knew the part. And so he mounted the stage.

"Now," said the loud man, "how about you?" and he pointed to a absurdly cute girl of perhaps eight or nine. "You can be the hostage." She smiled, and came up on stage once her parents approved. "Now, we need a minion, and an Aku. Any volunteers?" There were several, and the play itself was quite simple: Aku ordered a hostage taken to end a rebellion, the hostage bedevilled the minion, the hostage's father begged the samurai to help, the samurai defeated the minion and drove off Aku, then returned the brat-of-a-hostage to the father. He quipped at the end that Aku might have been worse off with the hostage.

It was time, he guessed, to head back to the theatre for the later shows, which happily involved coming just at the tail end of a room clearer's performance on a frankly bizarre conglomeration of pipes and strings. He watched several repeat acts, including the sisters', and a number he hadn't seen. One interesting one had a cruel, selfish man travelling across time to learn lessons in virtue, and the last he sat through showed two lonely, ragged children, starved-looking things, desperately trying to find food and shelter in blowing snow, haunted by shady forms they didn't appear to notice, which Jack took to mean that the forms were some sort of immaterial beings, closer and farther from them as their spirits rose and fell. The two found some few, small morsels in their travels: a handful or two of mushrooms, some rock-hard berries, a half-eaten carcass. At the last, a tiny cave, some twigs and leaves, a lot of work, and a fire, to warm themselves and cook their meagre provisions, and to keep animals at bay. they went out and out, gathered more fuel and built up the fire, then finally fell asleep against each other. Outside the cave entrance, the haunting shadows were seen snarling in frustration, and Jack smiled, finally understanding: the play was meant to demonstrate that Solstice, at its base, was about care, compassion and love, and the two children, despite their material poverty, had all those things in abundance.

By the time the Daughters arrived, Jack had prepared tea and some small snacks for the eight of them. Gathered about the table, they shared the stories of their days, then rose to spar; as the night before, they fought one on one, two on two, three and three, and four on four. The Daughters again asked if Jack wished to spend the night by himself and again, he did not. But this time, the futon was laid upon the floor instead of in the sleeping alcove, and the Daughters incorporated Jack into their pile. With the two futons beneath and above, for the Daughters it was beyond comfort, beyond even luxury, and entered into the realm of pure, sensuous delight.


	27. Protectors True and False

The next day, the Daughters returned to their previous routines, but in addition to the checks on the warehouse, put a little time into searching for the simple evils of which Jack had spoken, only to find it under their very noses. They had gone up to the manager's office just after the last call, concerned about the welfare of the new performers. The waifs never seemed to stop eating, yet they remained thin as sticks. At least their looks made them well-suited to roles requiring audience sympathy. At the door, they paused, listening to the conversation they could help but hear.

"We've been looking around the place," said a man with an oily voice. "You have a lot of potential problems: dubious wiring, rigging not the best, stagehands run ragged, and of course the performers are flakes at best. Lot of potential for… accidents. Now if I were you, I might want to consider taking out some insurance against such things."

"I told you bloodsuckers no already," they heard the manager state, then a snatch of poetry. "For that is called paying the danegeld, but we've proved it again and again, that if once you have paid him the danegeld, you never get rid of the Dane. Now go, ere I turn upon thee my full wrath and that of my people with me."

The man went, not noticing the seven forms that clung to the ceiling far above, or the shadows that scuttled after him.

In the parking structure beneath the theatre, he heard the whisper. "Fear-seller." He looked around, but saw no-one. From another direction, "False friend." Then a third, "Death brings death," and another, "Pain brings pain." Then, "Dream-killer," and "Blood-bringer," and "Know fear," every one seeming to come from a different place each time it echoed out, soft, horrible whispers. He turned around and around, but there was nobody to say anything, not anywhere, not even a place to hide! He managed, with effort, to compose himself superficially, and to drive off, only almost hitting the edge of the door on the way out. Once he was well gone, the Daughters dropped from their hiding places behind the heavy beams in the roof. "A good start," Ashi said with a smile to the rest. "I think we'll need to teach him another lesson in fear when he returns. I'm starting to think that criminals aren't very smart."

They went back upstairs, and after knocking, entered the manager's office. She looked up at them, "Hello girls. Something wrong?"

"It's the new performers," Aki said. "They're always eating, but they're so thin… "

The manager smiled. "It's all right. They're perfectly healthy, perfectly normal members of their species. They're offworlders, you see; their species withers in cold weather, going into a state close to death until the weather changes. That's why they eat so much, and why they live in the theatre: to stay active and experience an actual winter. They'll start to fill out when spring comes back."

Aki sighed in relief, and smiled. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," she said with a smile as the girls departed. Strange girls, but good.

The Daughters returned to their room by way of the warehouse, then after their nightly meditations, turned off the lights and cuddled in together. "I've been thinking," Ami said. "Perhaps, when Jack is in town, we should sleep with him. It might help him with his time alone problem. Even if he turns violent, we're seven and he's only one, and we have a stun gun and bolas now, if we need them."

For some time, there was no answer. Then Ashi spoke. "We'll talk to him. If he wants it, then yes." The girls shifted around a little, and went gradually to sleep.


	28. Insurance, Assurance, and Recollections

The insurance agent came by the next day, to repeat his offer, and the Daughters knew it within minutes, courtesy of green room gossip. They quickly split up, with Ashi, Avi and Aki heading to the parking garage, Ami and Adi to the construction shop, and Aji and Ari to the commissary. They concealed themselves behind the glare of the suspended fixtures or behind concrete beams and waited. It didn't take long before the agent arrived in the workshop. "Fear to the fear-bringer," came the first whisper, but the man visibly steeled himself, and walked around the shop, looking at everything but not touching anything. "No gold for the Dane," came a second. "Death for dream's death," came a cold, hissing voice from directly behind him and he whirled, pulling his gun on an empty shop. "Blood for blood, without remorse," came that same voice, off to his right, and again he spun on nothing. "This place is ours," came a voice from many places at once; the girls had spoken toward the ceiling and let the echoes in the large workshop multiply their numbers.

He turned and turned, looking for something, anything, to shoot, to end those voices. "Be gone!" they said, but from where? It had a be a trick, they were using hidden speakers. Yeah. That was it. It was just tricks, this was a theatre, they'd have people with the right skills. That was just sense, right? Right. His breathing slowed, and he started to compose himself again. Sounds couldn't hurt him, but fire could sure hurt the theatre. So he went to a pile of rags in a metal bucket, and knocked it over. Then he took out his lighter, and flicked it open and lit.

Aji didn't know exactly why he'd knocked over the rags, but the moment the lighter came out, she knew his plan. In the moment while he knelt, she flashed down, a streak of darkness aimed straight for the lighter, there and gone before he could register more than a dark flash, the lighter gone with her. Once again above the lights, hidden from his sight, she hissed "No gold for the Dane," and her sister, "This place is ours."

What was that thing? he thought as he again pulled his gun. Well, if it could touch him, he could touch it. And if he could touch it, he could kill it. "I know it's all just smoke and mirrors, so you can knock it off," he yelled. "I ain't scared of you!"

"You will be," said the sisters in near-unison, flashing down before him and away, paused barely long enough between landing and springing for him to resolve a suggestion of a pale, skull-like face.

"We are legion," came the whispers, and he turned around and around, trying to draw a bead on those horrible things. What were they? No human could move like that, and none of the aliens in the cast or crew. And the hissing voices! The demands to go, the threats, he couldn't take it, he had do something! Six shots, six oversized-firecracker bangs, then the click of the hammer on an empty chamber. And the shadows didn't stop. A sting of agony on the back of his neck, and he dropped, unable to even twitch. What seemed a very long time later, a large number of stagehands came in, and threw him out the back door after a sound thrashing. Once the stagehands departed, the two dropped to the floor, and went to inform their sisters. They had shows to put on, after all.

Jack laboured upon the crab-boat, catching brief naps among the heavy work of hauling and sorting the catch and, when needed, killing the occasional intruder upon the catch, for nothing that came into the traps and remained was harmless. There was a rough camaraderie aboard, but the crew accepted his disinterest in further socialising. And so it came to pass that after a refreshing dinner at a local tavern, Jack returned to his apartment, and entered into a series of sword forms. He was perhaps a bit rusty, he felt. As he moved through the intermediate forms, a knock came at the door. He sheathed his blade, and went to answer, opening the door to the Daughters. He step back quickly, by most standards, and invited the shadow-clad girls in. They filed in, and after greetings were made, Aki drew her sword. Not quickly, not aggressively, she simply produced it from seemingly behind her back.

"May I join you?" she asked, and Jack smiled, accepting the offer. So it was they fell to sparring, growing steadily faster, each putting more force behind each strike, block and parry, until Jack's sword stopped not half a thumb-length from Aki's throat. He sheathed his blade, and Aki vanished hers, and they bowed respectfully as equals. "You are as strong as I remembered. And more skilled than I."

"I have many years' advantage of experience, and you are a mighty fighter, far stronger than you seem," he sat as he sat down at the table and the girls joined him. "If I may ask, how is it that you are so strong? Training can only accomplish so much."

"We do not know," Aji said. "Mother said we held Aku's fire, but from everything we've seen and heard of him since, including from you, that seems unlikely. Aku's not one to share."

Jack nodded. "That is very true. If there is a more selfish and cruel being in the world, I know not of that one. Once, Aku condemned the prince and princess of a far world to death by heavy labour simply because it amused him to so treat people who asked of him nothing, save to be left in peace until they could depart."

Ami gasped, "Truly?"

"Yes, truly. I know, for I was there when it happened," and he told them the tale of Prince Astor and Princess Verbina of the Lepidopterans.

"They were brave creatures," Avi said at last. "I hope they were able to save their home."

"I like to think so," Jack said, "and that they married well and had fine children, or whatever their equivalent is. Tell me, do you ever miss your home?"

"The Temple of Aku? The home of an ascetic cult that raised us for the sole purpose of killing you? Where we knew no love and little comfort? Where we spent all our lives in training, sleeping, or praising Aku?" Ari asked, then before Jack could reply continued. "Yes, sometimes. The greater world is filled with ugliness and beauties and joys and sorrows, with wonders and miracles bright and dark… but all of it is so very strange, sometimes we'd give almost anything for a night in our chamber at the temple, with rock for a bed and stones for pillows, with the light of torches beyond the entrance and the chants of praise faintly heard. Not because it was good or comfortable, but because it would be something we understand. That's why our room has only a chest of drawers for furniture, and even that doubles as our altar. Save our darksuits, until we began our mission we never had anything that was truly ours, not even our weapons. A wood floor, for us, is a quite comfortable bed; your futon, a delight, and the covering futon, luxury."

Ami spoke up. "All that's true. But the best part of this isn't the truth you helped us find, or the new comforts and pleasures of the greater world. It's this," and she hugged Avi beside her, who returned the hug. "We didn't know how much we wanted this until that night in the cave you made, when we had to sleep so close together."

"I am glad for you," Jack said, his expression wistful. "I had no brother or sister. You are all very fortunate to have each other."

"We know," Aji said. "And it's why when we can, we so love to hold and touch each other. And Jack, we would like to ask you something."

Her serious expression and tone at the last made him pause. "Go on," he invited.

"We want to spend the night with you when you're in town. We can all share the alcove, or sleep in a pile, or we can pile and you sleep in the alcove as you see fit. Will you allow this?"

"Of course," he said. "You have changed so much since we first met. I would be pleased and… no! We have been through this before!" he suddenly shouted, and Ashi, Aki and Ari quickly moved to put their arms around him. "You see? They are no longer a threat to us, they are our friends now, our allies, and we need that!" He paused, "I am certain." Then he fell silent for a few moments. "Thank you, girls."

"You said being alone was what started this," Aji said. "So wouldn't not being alone be how to stop it?"

He sighed. "It will not be that simple. But, I think it will help us all. So yes, you are welcome to stay when you wish."

The sisters bowed, and thanked him in unison. They produced their charger and weapons, and set them up a good distance from the door; Jack had set up his near to his sword stand, with the quiver and unstrung bow on the wall above. The eight, as they had done before, sparred with each other in various configurations, then prepared for sleep. This time, the girls piled together, and Jack chose to sleep alone.

"Hello again," he said, in the cave from what seemed so long ago. "So, you've finally decided to do it. You know letting them move in, even part time, is just an exotic form of suicide." He sneered at Jack in contempt. "If you're going to do that, you could at least do it right, honourably, instead of inviting seven time bombs to stay with you. Of course, they did feel very nice when they hugged us, didn't they?" Jack smiled. "Yes. And I know what you will say next, and I again tell you that it would be inappropriate and I will will not do it." "Heh. You will, sooner or later. Unless you kill them, or they kill us. Did you see that arsenal they put in their charger? Who know what else they've got in those shadows?" "I took it upon myself to help them find their way from darkness, and I must and will accept the risks that go with that." "Risks? Try certainty. They said it themselves, they actually miss the temple! They miss praising Aku and living in darkness!" "They miss the things they knew growing up, the greater world is completely unlike what they knew, of course they would yearn for the familiar! When we first arrived in this future we were no different!" "Yes, we were! We weren't raised as single-minded assassins by a crazy cult!" "And what have they done to harm me since their capture? Nothing! They have come to love the greater world. I said they were not evil, only misled, and they have been proving just that!" Mad Jack snorted. "Hope you're right, instead of an idiot. Just don't trust them too much." Jack sank into deeper sleep, and the dream dissolved.


	29. Help From a Friend

The girls spent most of their day at the theatre, and Jack in wandering the streets. There were always simple evils to be fought, even in the depths of winter, and he needed to get back into form now that he had an arsenal again. Of course, some time at a firing range wouldn't go amiss either, and that evening he sparred against Aki once more, once they returned from their own daily rounds.

Ashi smiled as they entered. "No new deliveries to the warehouse," she told the samurai after they and he shared greetings, tea and snacks. "How was your day?"

He smiled. "It went well. I dissuaded a would-be gangster by showing him what the gangster life actually involved, convinced a foolish young man to show his girlfriend proper respect, and his foolish girlfriend to consider what messages she meant to send, and asked some very sharp questions of a restaurant manager who did not seem to understand cleanliness." That last prompted looks of complete bafflement, and Jack's asking them, "What confuses you? You do know what a manager is, and a restaurant?"

They nodded, and Ami spoke. "But how could he not understand cleanliness? The cult that raised us is led by a madwoman, worships the Deliverer of Darkness as a benevolent creator, is suicidally devout, and still prizes cleanliness. Even we had to help to keep the temple clean, and the others bathed every day without fail. Multiple times if they went outside."

Jack frowned in puzzlement. "Do you not bathe?"

Aji shook her head. "We only need to wash our faces and hair; our darksuits clean themselves. We're not sure how."

Jack nodded slowly. Strange, strange girls. Perhaps one day, they would learn the joy of hot baths. "There are people in this world who do not value cleanliness, or at least do not value it so highly as they should."

This time, the girls looked both baffled and disgusted. "And they make food?" to which Jack nodded. "Let's not think about that," Ashi said. "Suddenly, I'm very glad we get most of our food from street vendors, where we can see the cooking surfaces." The others nodded sharply in unison. "Jack, will you join our sparring session?"

He smiled. "Of course." By the end, he was of two minds about the girls' skills: on the one side, he wanted to teach them about teamwork, but on the other, he wondered if they should be left to discover it on their own. There did seem to hints of progress toward the concept, and thus far they'd accomplished great things even without proper assisting of each other. He would need to consider the question for a time. The session did go well, all of the girls pushing themselves to match Jack's skills. In truth, the margin was smaller than he liked to admit; they might have learned little more than fighting, but they'd learned that even better than he'd realized. By the time they were done, they were tired but not exhausted, and in need of cleaning up. Jack went first, then the girls, and at last, the most important question: who slept where. Jack and Ashi discussed the matter, he being careful to spare their probably delicate feelings.

In the end, it was Ashi who came up with the solution: Jack would take his futons and sleep on the floor, and the sisters would take the alcove. "It's good for all of us," she said. "You're being a considerate host by letting us take the alcove, we're considerate guests in leaving the bedding to you, the alcove's wooden floor is perfectly comfortable to us, and we like sleeping in a pile. So we all get good sleeping conditions, and you don't have to worry about… well."

Jack understood what she meant, and nodded in agreement. "Very well. Is there anything else to be done first?"

"One thing," Adi said, and she set their little idol on the edge of the table. "It just feels wrong not to do something before sleeping." The girls arranged themselves in their accustomed three-and-four, and Jack watched as they settled into a meditative state with surprising speed, and once settled, began to, not sing exactly, but to produce a single note, breathing staggered so the tone was continuous. After a few minutes, they rose, and went into the alcove, heads facing out. Jack closed the curtains, turned off the lights, and settled himself in for a peaceful night's sleep.

The next morning, the girls spent a brief period in meditation upon their idol before Adi vanished it. Jack wished them well in their performances, and they wished him well in the fishing, then they all departed, Jack carefully checking that the apartment was properly shut up.

On the way to the theatre, the girls made more of a point than usual of looking for things that seemed off or wrong, as least so far as they could tell. The city was just so weird! The temple had been simple. If Rika, their mother's enforcer, had held them gently, that would have been strange. Almost any act of affection would have been strange, for that matter. But here, everybody was so complicated! At least with the off-worlders they weren't expected to genuinely understand anything. And speaking of off-worlders, after breakfast in the green room, they sought out the two new performers, and Ami knelt before them. "The manager told us about your species, a little. My sisters and I would like to show you our appreciation for the effort you're putting into this." And the two stick-thin waif-looking performers found themselves at the centre of sevenfold hug. They struggled briefly, then returned the gesture.

"Thank you," the girl/woman said in her soft, gentle off-stage voice once the sisters sat back. "It is a custom among our people to give new family names only to those who do something truly novel. My husband and I will be the Coldlife clan founders," and she smiled bright and wistful. "Our children will be so proud!"

"You have children?" Aji asked.

The man shook his head. "We agreed to wait on that until after we earned a new name. But we plan to have quite a few," he said, and hugged his wife's shoulder.

She leaned her head on his shoulder. "Six or seven litters at least," she confirmed, prompting a baffled look from the sisters. "What?"

"Ah… what's a litter?" Aji asked.

The girl/woman looked puzzled for a moment. "Oh! If a species normally has more than two live offspring at one time, that's a litter." The Daughters' expression cleared, and Aji thanked her.

The day proceeded quietly, the insurance agent not making a third appearance (fortunately for him), and the Daughters putting on their act and chatting a bit with the other performers, then it was time once more for a check on the warehouse, time on the range and in the walled-off park, and searching for evils to abate.

As they passed a narrow space between buildings, a thin faint sob caught their notice, and they hurried toward its source, finding a girl not even so old as themselves, in tattered, worn-out clothes, holding what they recalled Jack telling them was a baby. "Can we help?" Aki asked.

The girl looked up, and shrank from the masked shadows. "No… no, please… I'm just.." she stammered out before Aki spoke again.

"We'll help you if you'll say how," she said as softly as she could, and held out a hand to the girl, who reluctantly reached out.

The strange shadow-woman's hand seemed to have no temperature at all, but the ease with which she pulled her upright spoke of immense strength. Looking at the others, she pulled into herself as best she could, holding her babe as close as possible. "I'm… cold," she finally admitted. "And hungry, and nobody will even shelter my babe," at which she started to weep. "Are you… the last friend?"

The masked shadows and the woman who spoke for them looked to each other, then the speaker answered. "We are your friends, if you will have us. But we are not your last friends."

She was even more confused now, but anything had to better than watching her babe die before she herself succumbed, and so she went with the group, frightening as they were, as they led her through the streets to an ordinary-looking door in a narrow street. One of the shadow-women knocked at the door, and a tall woman in gold-trimmed white robes let them in. The living shadows stayed back and let the robed woman lead her into the warmth of the little library.

"Please, sit down," said the robed woman, gesturing to a curious chair that seemed to have its own alcove attached to it. She did as asked, and found herself slowly relaxing, though the masked shadow-women still set her on edge. Then the priestess-attendant asked her name, then turned to the shadows. "Thank you," she said, then to her, "Analie, meet the Daughters of Darkness. Daughters of Darkness, meet Analie," a smiled on her face and in her voice. "How long since you last ate?" she asked the girl.

"Two… yes, two days, your Reverence," she answers after a few moments' thought. "I can nurse my babe, but…"

"Watch her, girls?" the priestess asked politely, then headed out when Aki agreed. She returned shortly with a plate that held a large bowl and two sandwiches, and in her other hand she held a glass of milk. "Here," she said, and set the plate and glass on small shelves inside the chair's integral alcove. "Chicken sandwich, chicken soup, and cold milk."

After several long drinks from the soup bowl/cup and a few bites of sandwich, she felt much better, and hoping it wasn't too late, put her babe against her breast. The little one began to nurse feebly, and she finally let out of sigh of released tension. "Thank you, all of you. For myself, and for my child. You've saved our lives."

"It was our pleasure," said the unmasked Daughter of Darkness. They were still a bit unsettling to look at, but knowing that they were amazing women rather than harbingers of death helped immensely. And so, Analie resumed her meal, and her babe continued to nurse.

After confirming the priestess would let her stay for a time, the Daughters quietly departed, returning to their little room and after their nightly mediation, arranged themselves into a pile for sleep. "I think we did well today," Ami said. "Seeing Analie relax, and knowing that she and her baby are safe, at least for a while, made me feel so warm inside." She hugged Avi and Aki a little, and they hugged her back, and where she lay against Avi, Aji got hugged as well, and it propagated through the pile, a wave of emotional and spiritual warmth. The girls slept very soundly.


	30. Little Pleasures

Another day at the theatre, then the target ranges and the playgrounds for practise, then they went back to the Eedyk temple, producing their clothes as they went. Aki knocked, and Analie opened to the door to the shadow-sheathed girls.

As she stepped back and the girls filed in, she found that without their masks, and with their tops and shorts and shoes, the girls were far less unsettling. Baby in her arms, she settled back in the alcove-equipped chair. "Welcome back," she said softly. "What brings you here?"

The girl with the centre part and white clothing answered her. "We just wanted to see how you were were doing. I'm Aki, and these are my sisters. Ashi, our battle leader," and she indicated her peaked-hair sister. "Aji, her advisor," and she indicated the girl in purple. And on through the other four, their names and one distinguishing characteristic.

Analie's head was swimming a bit by the end of the recitation. "I think I'll get it in time," she told Aki, and stroked her baby's head. "This little one's name is Ilona," and she turned the infant toward them. "Say hello, Ilona," and Ilona made some motions in their general direction that might be interpreted as waving to them, if one were inclined to be generous. Analie, noticing the girls' baffled looks, asked, "Haven't you seen a baby before?"

"No," Aki said, shaking her head. "We were raised in the temple of an ascetic all-woman cult, and we were the only children there. We've only seen babies as carvings in ornaments."

Analie's expression turned terribly sad, and the sisters looked to each other in puzzlement. She sighed, and after adjusting Ilona's position a little, so she was sitting up in her mother's lap, invited the girls to touch the baby's hands and cheeks very lightly. One by one, the girls did as invited, touching the baby gently with their shadow-sheathed fingertips. The infant cooed and giggled, and when she first giggled, Ami pulled her hand back faster than Analie could follow.

"Did I hurt her? Is she all right?" Ami asked, brows raised and eyes wide in real fear.

Analie smiled, suppressing a laugh. "She's fine. It's a normal sound a happy baby makes." She could see the girls relax, and return to taking turns doting over the wee one. It was strange, but also rather charming, to see how very, very careful they were with her child, and watch their expressions shift slowly to utter delight. She slowly initiated them into the mysteries of playing gently with a baby, culminating in learning to hold one properly; they handled the little one as if they thought she were made of dewdrops and gossamer, and Ilona responded with smiles and happy sounds. The playing ended when Ilona reached out for her mother, and got returned. Analie spoke soft words to her and gave her a kiss on the forehead.

The priestess had by this time come downstairs, and watched quietly, wishing not to interrupt the tender scene. Poor girls, what had their growing up been like? Once Ilona was back in her mother's arms, the priestess stepped fully into the room. "Hello again, girls." They turned and bowed in unison, a slightly disturbing sight. "Come to check on Analie, I see. Well, I'm sure you know how she and Ilona and doing."

Aki spoke first. "Yes. We're pleased to see them so much better. If we find more people in such need, can we bring them here?"

The priestess shook her head. "I only have the resources to care for one or two people at a time. But I can tell you where to take them," and did. "Over the last several decades, Aku's crushing of charity and kindness has greatly declined, so people like Analie and Ilona can at least sometimes find help. But please, if you find more people in such straits, you know how to help."

"We will," Aki said with deep conviction. "But we only really came to see that Analie was doing well, so we'll head out out now. Thank you for taking her in."

"And for our new idol," Adi added. "We needed that more than you will ever know." And the girls departed, returning quickly to their room, vanishing their clothes on the way. Meditation, then lights out, and in the red light through the curtains, they settled in for a good night's sleep.


	31. One for All, All for One

The evening following, they found a few more people in need, and took them to the places they'd learned of the day before; they also found a few corpses of the drug-riddled or the frozen. Over the first, Adi stood, and bowed, fist clasped in hand. "O powers of light, whose names we know not, we ask you to show mercy in judging the spirit of this nameless one," she said, "and keep that spirit from the realm of Aku," and when they found others, she said the same words while her sisters held a single, shared, soothing note.

In a playground, they engaged in another of their tag games, leaping and springing between trees and pieces of equipment, streaks of black and white none could see clearly. As they leapt about, Avi saw one sister leap to intercept another's trajectory, and without pausing to consider, launched herself to intercept the second sister with a shoulder hit. They both rolled easily upright, and the game came to a quick stop.

"What did you just do?" Ashi asked, completely baffled.

Avi shook her head. "I'm not sure, I just knocked Ami away from Ari, I didn't want her to be hit."

They looked among themselves. "We go to the samurai," Ashi said firmly, and the rest followed her.

In his apartment, Jack was in meditation when the knock came. He opened the door, the girls filed in, and they exchanged pleasantries while they all gathered around the table while a kettle heated on the stove. "Jack," Aki said, "one thing we do to keep our skills sharp is to practice against each other," and she told him of their practices in the playground, and what Avi had done to protect Ami. "Did she do something wrong? It did leave her vulnerable to Ari."

Jack smiled brightly. "No, she did a wonderful thing!" he assured her. "Congratulations, Avi, that is called teamwork, aiding and protecting each other. Have you never done that before?"

Avi shook her head. "Never. Though in our last fight in the temple, Ashi killed two of our trainers with a bow before they could reach Ami and Aki."

Jack repressed a shudder at the casual way Avi spoke of killing the women who had raised them. Still, he nodded. "That is also an example of teamwork. It is something I have noticed you are very poor at doing, but now that you have the concept, I will help you improve with it." He suddenly gripped the ended of the low table, face contorted in concentration, and Ami went to hold him from behind while Ashi put her arms around him from beside, staying in place until he returned to himself. "Thank you," he said after a time. "Let us spar." He split the Daughters into two teams, three and three with Ashi observing. Jack took one team aside to give some simple directions in how to aid and cover for each other, and that team quickly trounced their opponents. "And that is why teamwork is a good thing. Mighty as you are, when you assist one another you are mightier still."

"Mother always said that to depend on others is a weakness," Ari told him, slow and reluctant. "And if we tried to help each other, we were forbidden, or even punished."

Jack lowered his head and groaned. "Your mother understands nothing about group combat. Fortunately for all of us, to be honest; if you had understood teamwork, I would never have been able to best you."

They looked to each other, then to him. "Jack, we cannot possibly thank you enough for your kindness and mercy."

He smiled. "Then do not try. Do what good you can in the world, and that will be thanks enough."

The girls smiled slightly. "Thank you," Aki said for them all, and after some discussion, it was agreed that the Daughters would sleep in the main room and Jack in the alcove. He reached up to the shelf in the alcove, and pulled down a few things.

"I know you are content with just the floor, but I thought you might appreciate these," he said. "Pillows, and a comforter to spread over yourselves." The pillows were little more than sacks stuffed with wheat hulls, and the comforter was coarse and relatively thin, to the point that Jack actually felt a bit guilty about giving such poor things to the girls, but he reminded himself that their standards were so low that anything more would likely serve only to make them uncomfortable. As he watched, they arranged themselves in a pile, the ones with heads not resting on their sisters using a pillow each, and the whole pile covered entirely with the comforter. He found the sight oddly charming, and slid shut the door to the alcove.


	32. Death and Deception

Came the morning, the girls thanked him for his hospitality, and for his assistance the previous night. They spent a few moments in meditation upon their idol, then Adi vanished it before they filed out, leaving Jack to deal with his breakfast.

He wanted to cry for the girls; he could barely start to fathom how alone they must have been. Small wonder they were so close, in all their lives they'd had none to turn to save each other, and barely that. Well, at least now they were learning to deal with others properly, and that could only be good for them and the world. But for now, he had a ship to report to. Better by far to arrive while the tide was going in.

The Daughters proceeded to the theatre and their breakfast, and a most interesting rumour: that the theatre had acquired a guardian ghost. They chose not to reveal who or what the ghost actual was, merely listened to the tales and made noncommittal comments. But perhaps the man offering insurance would be afraid to deal with ghosts.

The day came and went with no particular incidents, but after work, they went first to the range, then to the playgrounds, and then they spread out to search the alleys and back ways for those in need. Avi howled to call the others, and jumped down to be near a naked man. He sat in the snow, thin and shivering, with a heavy beard. "Old man," Aji said, "will you let us help you?"

The man looked up to the girls, and smiled. "Angels of Death. Thank you for coming for me."

They looked to each other, then to him. "Why do you thank us?" Aki asked.

His smile remained. "I'm an old man, sick and weak. I could take medicines to live longer, but for what? A few extra months or years of constant pain? Freezing to death is uncomfortable, but it's pleasant at the last. Warm and gentle. So, thank you for coming to ease me into the final sleep."

The masked shadows glanced to each other, and suddenly, the old man fell over. Ami had drawn, fired and vanished her stun gun faster than his old eyes could track. She looked again to her sisters. "Now what? Do we help him to shelter?"

"No," Ashi said slowly. "He has chosen to die. It is his right, and you gave him the peaceful death he sought. He'll die quietly now, as he chose."

Aji considered further. "He had to have wanted this. He took his clothes off, came to this out of the way spot where he would not be seen or disturb anyone, sat quietly. He knew what he was doing."

Adi nodded. "We will pray for him." And her sisters vocalized a steady note while she commended his spirit to the Powers. Their duty to the old man done, they scaled the wall once more and went searching for others who might need their help.

After a few more people found, and assisted to shelter, the girls returned to their room. After their meditations, and returning to their preferred piled arrangement, Ari sighed. "I hate to say this, but… I like the comfort of the pillows. The comforter doesn't much matter, really, but the pillows are so nice."

Ashi answered her. "I know. But we have to live this way for at least a few weeks more. We need to return to the temple for Night's Ebb so we can report back to Mother." The others murmured in worry, but none dissented. They all understood the necessity.

Another day came and went, and the one after, they went to Jack's apartment after their rounds. They gathered around the table, shared their experiences (though the Daughters didn't mention the old man), shared tea, sparred, then the girls took a formation of one, two and four and bowed to him. "Samurai," Ashi said, "we can and will continue to sleep here when you are here. But we cannot accept the use of pillows and futons and comforters. When the weather turns warm, we must return to the temple; our mother will expect us to report in, and we do not wish to rouse her suspicions. So for the next few weeks, we must live in the way we lived at the temple. No pillows, futons, or comforters, sleeping apart from each other, and," and here she swallowed hard, looking down hard, "we must acquire a new idol of Aku. We need to be sure we perform the prayers correctly, for she will certainly invite us to join the services. We don't dare give her any hint that we are not entirely devout."

Jack frowned, deeply troubled. "Is this truly necessary? It seems… " He paused in thought. "You have changed so much, grown so much, I do not wish to see you fall back into your old ways, your old views. And to return to the temple of Aku, to deceive your own mother, and the women who raised you, would be very difficult, would it not?"

The sisters nodded in near-perfect unison. "It will be," Ashi admitted. "But it's our best chance. If we report back, tell her you're still alive and we're taking steps to be able to face you, she won't sent people after us, or worse, come after us herself. She's fanatical, heartless and ruthless, but she's also very patient. We'll tell her the truth of our activities - not mentioning how you captured us, of course - and that we need to travel and learn and improve and broaden our skills. It might not work, but it will buy us time if it does. And if it fails, the rest of the cult is nothing against our might; since the deaths of our trainers, only Mother might be a threat."

"And you still think theses girls are our friends?" he demanded, hints of red creeping in at the edges, teeth seeming somehow sharper. "They've just admitted they're going back to worshipping Aku!" "They have not! They have told us they must return to the temple to put off their mother, and must prepare for that! Have we never practiced disguise or infiltration?" "There's a difference!" he shouted. "We never worshipped Aku or pretended to! They did, and for all we know they still do! They're not trying to fool their mother, just you!" A warm, soft pressure came against Jack's sides and back. "You see? The girls I captured would never have done this, or even thought to do this, and certainly not for me!" "So? That just means they're cunning and patient! Like mother, like daughters!" "We already knew they are both those things! That does not make them our enemies!" "But it does make them dangerous! Do not trust them, especially now!" "I must and I will! They kept faith with me when they had far less cause, I will keep faith with them." He snarled, and stormed out. Jack relaxed and smiled weak and wan to the girls who held him. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Ashi, Ami and Aki chorussed. Avi rose to clean the cups and teapot, then Jack retired to his alcove and after their meditations upon their new idol, the girls spread themselves over the floor, carefully not touching each other, much as they wanted to. They slept poorly that night.


	33. Troubled Nights

Another day came and went fairly normally, and after the theatre, the girls again roamed the the streets and alleys. A few more people helped to shelter, a few self-declared "meanest dudes in the city" given a dose of perspective, and a poor night's sleep.

The morning's meditations upon the Eedyk helped ease their heartache, then after a brief sparring session, they went out for a simple breakfast, fruit salad with nuts, with plain water to drink. As they walked toward a section of the shoreline away from both the cargo docks and fishing docks, Ami spoke. "You know, that was quite nice."

Ashi smiled. "True. That's one thing I can say for the temple: we ate well." Indeed, mealtimes had been their only real and positive pleasure in life, especially between the Brief Night and Night's Rise when they had fresh fruits and berries every day, and fresh meat more often than not. Cutting out breads might not such a hardship as they'd feared.

They made their way to the shore, and searched up and down for a small stone, one that after carving would fit into Adi's darkness, each coming back with a candidate stone; it was Aji who brought the best, half again as long and wide as her hand, and as thick as the two joints of her thumb were long. They returned to their room, and took turns carving, sharpening their kunai frequently, then after taking out the newspaper they'd acquired to catch the stone flakes, looked at the result.

Adi looked to the others. "What now? Do we… " she gestured vaguely toward the idol, then looked to Ashi and Aji.

Ashi sighed. "I think we need to. Aji?"

Eyes downcast, Aji nodded. "We have to be thorough. We can't miss any detail, however small, if we mean to fool Mother."

And so Adi got the paints and bowls and brushes from the drawer, and the girls pricked their chins, mixing their blood with the black paint. Adi carefully painted the body of the idol black, red, green and white as applicable, then after rinsing the brushes, returned the supplies to their drawer. She added wax beads and the stone wick to the bowl, then with visible reluctance, applied lighter flame to the wick until it caught. The girls prostrated themselves before the idol, producing the monotone vocalization they had learned so well, then sat back up. Adi blew out the wick, then turned to her sisters. "Am I the only one who just feels wrong about doing that?" The others shook their heads.

Ari took her hands. "We have to do this, Adi. It's hard, but we'll get through. We'll help each other, and after Night's Ebb we won't need to do this again."

Adi gave a weak smile, and thanked her, then groaned at a sudden realization. "We need another stone. We have an idol, but we need a base to set it on and to hold the candles beside it. Mother will accept our portable altar being small and simple, but not being incomplete." The others groaned, and they all returned to the shoreline to seek out a base for their new altar. At least that one was easier: they just found a roughly suitable stone, and Avi cracked off the excess with her kanabo. A few shots with the electrolaser put pits in each end sufficient to hold small candles, then the girls returned to their room and set up their altar to Aku.

They immediately filed back out, not wanting to be near that altar any more than they could help, and spread out to explore and to see what good their could do, and to assuage their curiosity about some of the odder goods they'd seen. Mostly, they emerged from the various businesses more baffled than before. Reluctantly, they gathered in their room near sunset, and went through the motions of praising Aku, though their stomachs clenched, and the moment they were done, Adi put out the flames and they all departed the room until the hour grew late enough that sleep was needed. Apart from each other and under the glare of their former Lord and Master, the night was most unrestful.

Before breakfast the next day, Adi lit the flames at the altar, and they again prostrated themselves, schooling themselves to composure and calm as best they could. They could hardly wait to be able to put out the flames and depart, but under Adi's guidance they put the full time and form into their observances, however it grated on their sensibilities. They produced their clothing, then hurried to the theatre, anxious for both distance and breakfast.

Upon arrival, they vanished their clothing and entered the building, heading first to the canteen then to the green room, huddling close as they could without actually touching. Ari frowned in deep thought, then reluctantly suggested that if they spread out more, it might hurt less. Or perhaps if they practiced their forms together, that could help. Ashi nodded to the second, and they tried, and it did help a bit, enough that their performances were solid and solidly entertaining. But though they put it off as long as they could, delaying until after their performances, patrols and practices, it was still too soon they had to return to their room for their devotions and a night of poor sleep.

The morning after, Adi looked at the altar with intense distaste, almost revulsion, then turned to her sisters. "I hate to say this," she began, face twisted in strain, and Ami had her close.

"It's all right," she assured her. "We're here for you."

Adi sighed heavily as Ami stepped away. "I have to take the altar with us. We need to get back into the habit of performing our devotions at sunset." Her eyes filled with tears, but she refused to shed them. A lifetime of enforced stoicism was not easily overcome, not entirely.

Ashi nodded to that. "I don't like it any more than you do. But you're right, we do need to get back into that habit."

Slowly, Adi picked up the idol and the altar, touching them with only her fingertips as she vanished them into her darkness. The day rushed by far too quickly, and sunset came went they were in the green room. They left the building, then quickly scaled to the roof, where they performed their devotions on the snowy roof, then had to hurry back down for their next performance.

Back in their apartment, Ami looked to the others. "Was it… easier this time?" she asked, and the others nodded in assent, in a rough unison.

"I don't think that's bad," Aji said. "We all remember how we'd feel after services in temple. I didn't feel like that, I just… didn't feel as sick. I don't know, maybe we're just learning to think of the prayers as another kind of performance, like the plays."

Adi returned the altar and idol to their place on the dresser, then looked to Ashi. "Should I put the Eedyk block in front of it?"

She shook her head, lips pressed firmly together. "No. We have to be as thorough as we can about this. We have to be perfect if we want to fool Mother."

The others nodded, reluctantly, and drew upon their new skills to re-assume the cold, hard expressions they had worn most of their lives, then after Avi flipped off the light, they arranged themselves for sleep, spreading out as best the small room allowed.

Ari bowed repeatedly before the great idol of Aku, feeling only fear. Hidden by her mask and her darkness, she still feared.  
"Ari," her mother said to her. "Stand. I grant you the honour of making the sacrifice."  
She climbed the steps, and accepted the offered knife, then climbed to the sacrificial altar, ready to slit the animal's throat. She wondered what the hunting sisters had caught.  
On the stone, herself. Naked as she had not been for years, bound wrists to ankles behind her back, clearly terrified yet doing her best to retain dignity. Ari raised the knife, and woke with a barely suppressed keening wail.

The others heard the wail, and Ami started to reach for her. Ari saw the movement, and shook her head. Ami pulled her hand back, and they slowly returned to their restless slumber.

Another day came and went, with performances, practices, and patrols, and at sunset, their devotions to Aku. At the last, they went to Jack's apartment, where they shared tea and pleasantries, sparred, and took lessons in teamwork. Finally, after the sparring but before they prepared for bed, Ashi awkwardly approached Jack.

Jack saw her awkward expression, and tried to work out why she seemed so disturbed. He let his concern show, and watched her expression smooth out slightly. "What troubles you?"

Ashi looked down at her feet. "Jack, we… to prepare for our return to the temple, we think it's best for us to have our portable altar nearby. Not out in the open, we know you don't want that, but is there a," and she hesitated, looking for the right word. "What do you call those spaces with the little doors?" she finally asked.

He frowned in thought for a few moments. "Ah! They are called cupboards. Does your temple not have them?"

She shook her head. "No, just storage niches. I don't think there's a door in the entire temple. It's basically a set of caves. Generations of the faithful have carved storage niches, stairways, polished smooth the floor of the Hall of Worship, and of course, carved out the great idol of Aku."

Jack nodded slowly. "No wonder you miss the temple. Normal buildings must be very, very strange to you."

"They are," she sighed, and the others nodded. "Doors everywhere, straight lines, smooth, flat walls and ceilings, it's so different from the temple or the forest." She composed herself. "But that's all beside the point. Is there a cupboard where we could put our portable altar? If it helps, the idol is really just a carving; it's not sanctified."

Jack relaxed slightly at that. "Good. There is an empty cupboard in the kitchen, you may set it there."

"Thank you, Jack," she said softly, bowing to him. "We need to get used to having an idol nearby again."

"Of course," he answered softly. Then he watched Adi produce the statue and base with visible distaste, putting them in the cupboard and closing the doors on the altar. That done, he withdrew to his sleeping alcove and the girl spread out on the floor. Their night was more restful.

The Daughters' night was more restful, but Jack was not so fortunate. "Now they've got you accepting an idol of Aku!" "It is only a carving, and you saw how Adi handled it. They don't even want it around! But they need it to prepare properly for their imposture." "Sure they do. They'll probably try to seduce you into worshipping that thing! Can't you see their whole 'we need to do this' business is just a con? They're as devout as ever, they've just changed tactics since they con't take us head-on." "Then I will be suitably cautious. They have been nothing but open and honest with us since the death of the gulper, and I believe that they are continuing to be so; they were trained in combat, stealth, athletics and the praising of Aku, not in con artistry and deception." "So they say," he snarled, the red fringes creeping up from hands and feet. "Just remember: I tried to warn you." And he faded away.

Days came and days went. When they slept in Jack's apartment, the Daughters' sleep was untroubled, but when they slept in their room, they were plagued with nightmares, and at last, Aki broached the matter. "Jack, do you sleep well when we are not with you?"

He nodded. "On the boat, I do not sleep so much as nap briefly. But my naps are untroubled. Why do you ask?"

She nodded to that. "It troubles your sleep to have even a false idol of Aku here, does it not?"

"Yes," he admitted reluctantly.

She sighed heavily, but her expression was firm. "Then we shall no longer sleep here. We will continue to visit, but we will sleep in our own room. We need to re-accustom ourselves to sleeping with an idol nearby, and do not wish to trouble you with difficulties you cannot help with."

He bowed to her. "Thank you for your consideration, Aki."

She returned the bow. "You are welcome, Jack." Then she hugged him, and after a moment's startlement he returned the gesture. One by one, her sisters did the same. "We'll visit tomorrow if you like," she said at the end.

He smiled gently. "I would be pleased," and watched them file out. Once they were out, he let his concerns show on his face. It might be necessary for them to go back to some of their old ways, but he could not help thinking it was bad for them, forcing themselves to at least appear to be the cold killers and devout Aku worshippers they had been raised as.

Had they known of his concerns, they would have agreed. "I hate this," Ami said. "The devotions are the only part that doesn't hurt anymore, and the only good part about them is that we don't feel anything at all. At least we're not falling back into Aku worship."

Ashi paced the little room, hands clenched hard, face tight with strain. "I know. Every night at least one of us wakes up keening, and I want to help but I can't!" She struck the wall with both raised fists, head down. "I don't know if we can do this, it's killing us!" she quietly screamed.

Ari rested her hand on Ashi's shoulder. "We can get through this. We only need to keep it up until Night's Ebb is done, then we'll be back to 'hunting the samurai, our mortal enemy.'" She said the last in a passable imitation of Aku, which raised a slight chuckle from their leader. Then the conversation turned to what to tell their their mother of their activities, and perhaps more importantly, what not to tell her.

Eventually, they reluctantly lay down to sleep as best they could. None slept well.


	34. Homecoming

Days came and days went; Jack had his work, and his wanderings, and the Daughters' regular visits, and the Daughters had their performances, practices, and patrols, and at last, the snowfalls turned to rainfall.

"Samurai," Aki said to Jack in his apartment, "we wish to speak with you."

Samurai? This must be very serious indeed. "Certainly," he said as they gathered around the table.

She sighed heavily. "We need to return to the temple, you know that already. But we don't really know much about to live in the wild places, and we have little time to get there. Can you help us with that?"

He considered the question. "You need to travel quickly?" They nodded. "Then I advise you to purchase motorcycles. You know what those are?"

Aki nodded. "I've ridden motorcycles many times, at the arcade. We've all ridden them at least a few times."

"That will help, but the real machines are not quite like the arcades. You are small women, and so should ride small vehicles," and the discussion proceeded to different sorts of vehicles and equipment and camping gear before the girls returned to their apartment.

Ami broke down sobbing almost the moment the door was closed. "I can't take this much longer! It's so wrong, praising Aku, sleeping under his idol, holding ourselves apart, I hate it, every breath!"

Ashi put her hand on her shoulder. "I know. I feel the same, and it's even worse for Adi. But it's not much longer. We've given notice at the theatre, we just need to equip ourselves and return to the temple for a single night. We can get through this. We survived our childhood, we can survive this."

Ami looked up, slowly, and nodded slowly. "You're right. This is hard, but we've been through worse." The girls performed their devotions, and spent the night in fitful sleep.

A few days later, Jack and the girls rendezvoused just outside the city, the girls wearing racing leathers and matching helmets in their favoured colours; the bikes were identical, low-slung matte black series-electric speed machines with all-terrain tires and heavy duty suspensions. Jack pulled up on a large, powerful touring bike, equipped, like the girls', with heavy duty suspension and all terrain tires. Unlike the girls, he wore true armour, patterned after that of his long-gone homeland. "Now, what is your plan?" he asked.

"Very simple," Ashi said, her voice a bit muffled by her helmet. "We drive for most of the day, then stop about an hour's walk from the temple. We make camp, you stay behind to mind the camp and the bikes. Then we proceed on foot to the temple, and come back tomorrow." She sighed heavily. "We'll need to leave almost everything behind. We'll only be able to take our weapons and some money with us. And we'll come back without the money. Mother must believe we are absolutely devout; It grates on me to support the cult, but if we don't convince her we'll never be free," she nearly sobbed.

The others nodded, and Adi sighed heavily. "We'll never be entirely free of the cult. We'll always have to report back, if only for Brief Night and Long Night, for as long as Jack and Aku both live."

"Then we must find a way to kill Aku," Jack said simply. "After you report in, I think I know where to go first." And the eight started their engines, and set off toward the Temple of Aku.

The spring countryside was not terribly beautiful, with the fields not yet planted and the trees only starting to bud, but it was still a vast improvement over the city, to both Jack and the Daughters: to Jack, because it reminded him of early spring in his long-lost home and the Daughters for the refreshing absence of straight lines and flat walls. They drove in silence for the most part, and pulled over for a simple lunch at a roadside eatery.

The place was dubious, in all honesty. Solidly built, but that was all that could be said for it. The windows looked to be covered with paper, the wood faded to a sort of non-colour, the brass pusher plate worn and scuffed. "Keep your helmets on," Jack advised. "There may soon be a fight." The girls noticed the low, resigned tone.

"So… no killing?" Ashi asked.

"If you can avoid it," he confirmed. "The men and perhaps women who might attack us have made the choice to be mercenaries and bounty hunters. If you must end their lives, so be it. As a good rule, if they come at you with fists, meet them with fists. Meet knives with knives, guns with guns." They nodded solemnly, unzipped their leathers, and entered the dim interior.

The Daughters relaxed further, the rough walls and red-orange candlelight a bit of familiarity they'd not even known how badly they'd wanted. The clientele was a mix of men, or male-seeming off-worlders, the only women other than themselves the server and a woman dancing in a cage above the floor. They heard Jack request hot water while they examined the bill of fare, choosing drinks and food they knew by name, simple things whose preparations they knew were difficult to contaminate, not wanting to trust the cooks here too far.

The girls watched the dancer for a time, then settled around two tables, one of them Jack's. An offworlder with heavy fur, a scaled belly and long arms swagged up to Avi. "Yer in my seat." She ignored him, and he grabbed her by the shoulder. "I said…"

What he meant to say next would never be known, as the red-dressed biker babe pivoted around his grasping hand, kneed him in the side and brought her elbow down on his neck. She then settled back down, and gestured the serving girl over. "My apologies for the disturbance," she said, and when asked, she and her sisters and Jack placed their orders for lunch, while the other patrons muttered among themselves in various languages. The offworlder, once he came around, chose not to press his luck.

The meal proceeded quietly and peacefully, then after the eight filed out, they were met by an unwelcoming committee. More than a dozen bounty hunters, from an armoured figure hardly bigger than the Daughters to a huge, brown-furred hulking thing. Instantly, Ami, Adi and Aji sprang up to the roof; by the time they landed they'd pulled their guns and chosen targets. While the other five closed with their chosen opponents, a matte-gold robot fell to a lightning bolt, the small armoured figure dropped to the ground, screaming over a hole in the gut, and the red-armoured brute just fell over. As Jack swung his sword to block a great mace swung by a man with a great moustache and similar features to himself, Ashi swept her kusarigama around the ankles of a blue-furred doglike creature with antennae, and pulled him off his feet. She jumped atop him, her kunai at his throat. "Give up," she said, and he nodded slightly, running once she leapt clear. She spun in midair to stab a scaled, long-bodied creature in its right front shoulder, choking on the stench of the faintly visible cloud of noxious gas it had belched out. She used her kunai as a pivot point, landing firmly on its back, and pulled a second kunai to threaten its eye. "Give up," she snarled again, and twisted the kunai in the joint. The creature roared in pain, and lowered its head. She pulled the kunai, and it slunk away. Jack quickly disarmed the maceman and spun to face the vaguely panther-like being trying to take him from behind. He dropped to his back, caught the offworlder, curled up, then straightened out to fling him clear; he fled. Ari slashed her naginata's blade across the belly of the hunter who'd tried to claim Avi's seat earlier, and he dropped with a groan of agony while she drove the butt of her weapon up into the jaw of a human who was drawing a large gun. A quick reverse put the blade at the inside of his jaw, just at the corner, and his own weight cut a deep furrow; bleeding heavily, he sheathed his weapon and withdrew quickly. Aki's katana removed the head of another robot, this one a sinister black and bristling with spikes and built in weapons, at nearly the same time as Avi's kanabo shattered a large human man's leg armour and the lower leg under it, forcing him to limp away from the battlefield. The remaining hunters, suddenly outnumbered, quickly withdrew.

The battle done, the five cleaned their weapons as the girls on the roof dropped lightly to the ground. "Should we end the fallen?" Ashi asked Jack, who shook his head, saying that mercy was appropriate. The girls vanished their weapons and zipped up their leathers, then the eight mounted, and pulled out again, reaching their selected campsite as the sun was just lowering. Avi pulled from her saddlebag a large black rectangle and a power cord, connected the rectangle to a plug on top of the motorcycle's battery housing, and Jack watched the rectangle unfold into a large yurt. The girls took their bikes inside, then shed their helmets and leathers, and removed from their shadows everything but their weapons, Aku idol, and a bag of coins. They donned their masks, and moved out.

Jack watched them, and silently prayed the gods to strengthen them in their coming ordeal. Then he went to work, preparing his own tent and laying a fire to cook his supper.

The Daughters walked briskly through the budding forest; the faint sounds of birdsong and creek raised their spirits as they approached the bridge and the temple-mountain. Their former Lord's image glared down at them with glowing, faceted eyes, and they strode through its mouth.

They had timed their entrance well, arriving at the Hall of Worship just before the service began. The High Priestess saw them, and quickly crossed to them. "Welcome back," she said in the closest thing they had heard to a warm tone. "Come, join the service, then we will speak." The girls nodded, and took their places, prostrating themselves repeatedly and striking the correct note. It was distressingly easy, falling into perfect rhythm with the rest of the cultists even after their months of absence, the sensation both comfortable and disturbing. Night's Ebb required an extended service, with their mother pledging the power of their prayer to the use of Aku, pledging their lives to His service, to their last breath and drop of blood. They prayed long and long, and in due course, rose. Their mother's enforcer strode to them, then bowed. Aki's eyes widened; never before had the brute shown them respect. But they returned the bow. "Go to your mother's chamber," she said in her deep, heavy voice, and straightened up after the Daughters did.

In their mother's chamber, they went to one knee. Their mother's chamber was slightly less austere than the common sisters'; a thin pad and hard pillow in place of a woven straw mat, a desk, stool, slate and chalk, and the lectern on which rested the Book of Aku. Candles lit the space, and flickered sightly at every disturbance. Their mother knelt upon the bare floor. "Sit," she said, her tone not quite a command, and they sat. "Tell me of your mission. What is your progress, and where is Aki's mask?"

Aki spoke. "We faced the Samurai, and destroyed his vehicle. Then we stripped him of his weapons and armour, and he withdrew to what we have since learned is called a mausoleum. We pursued, and he lost us. We spread out, concealed ourselves in the shadows, and waited for him. He came by me, I attacked him. The fight was difficult, he is mightier than we expected, and at one point he smashed his forehead against my mask. It split and fell, and while I was stunned, he drove the wind from my lungs." She looked down, shamefaced. "He took my sword, and ran. He did something, I don't know what, to make the wall of the corridor explode as he fled. We tried to track him, but the snowfall hid his trail."

"Why are you alive?" the High Priestess asked. There was no condemnation in her tone, only question.

"I do not know. He could have killed me easily, yet he chose to spare me. We can't explain it."

"Go on. After you left the mausoleum, and could not pick up his trail, what happened?"

Aki let her control slip a little. "Oh, Mother, we were not prepared. We had no hope of returning to the temple after our food ran out, and we did not know how to build shelters, or make fire. It was only by fortune edging on divine intervention we found a city, and people who would help us."

"A city," she asked with a trace of suspicion. "Then you have learned something of the greater world."

"Yes, Mother. We learned of jobs and money, and found work at a place called a theatre, where people go to find entertainment."

She nodded. "I see. And what entertainment did you offer?"

"Temple plays, praising Aku. They were very well received. But that was only how we began, we have done far more. We have battled criminals, slain monsters, protected the helpless and freed the oppressed! And we have earned fortunes!" She reached behind herself and drew out a leather pouch. "We place it at the Temple's disposal, save what we have held back for our mission. We will likely need to travel in cities again, where we must purchase food and shelter."

"What else have you done with your earnings?" she asked, her tone neutral. So far, their actions were entirely praiseworthy, assuming they were speaking the truth. Protecting their Lord's creation and its people, punishing the wicked, spreading His word and truth.

"We have bought vehicles, and modern weapons, and training in their use," she said. "We must be able to travel more swiftly than the Samurai, and felt the need to broaden our tactical options. We have also purchased some survival gear and lessons. There are many ways to die without proper equipment and understanding."

Their mother nodded. "Go on."

Aki stood. "May I see the Book of Aku?"

She nodded, and Aki opened it more or less at random. "Now when the people brought the blasphemers before the high priest Yeshua, he began to speak. Then did the spirit of Aku come upon him, and his voice was as thunder. Fashion a great clay vessel, said Aku, and strip the blasphemers and bind them and place them therein. Then fill it with fats and oils, and heat it until the blasphemers are rendered down. Ensure that they live as long as possible in the process. When my idol is rebuilt, light the oil in the vessel as the first offering."

For the first time, their mother sounded not merely pleased, but genuinely amazed. "You have mastered reading?" Aki nodded to her. "I might have expected that of Adi, in a few more years, but of you? You can truly read?"

Adi smiled. "Yes, mother. We all can." And she nearly fell over at what came next.

The High Priestess looked between them, and in a voice of utter delight said "Oh, my daughters!" Her mask did not change, but her smile was perfectly audible. And for the first time in their lives, she hugged them close, all of them, one by one. "Such devoutness, such love of our Lord! I could not be more proud!" Then she stepped back. "Spend the night in your chamber. After our next meal, I will give Aki a new mask before you take up your mission again; I leave it in your hands. I ask only that you return for the Long Night." The girls bowed, and withdrew after thanking her respectfully.

The High Priestess was far too controlled to actually cavort, but she was in ecstasy at the night's revelations. Such wonderful daughters, such marvellous children! She knelt to heft the leather sack, and when she opened it, gaped at the contents. Discs of various precious metals, each stamped with Aku's face on the obverse and various symbols on the reverse, from a beetle drone to Aku's tower, hundreds of them! Oh, this would stand the Temple in good stead should they ever need to go out into the greater world, and ended all her doubts of the girls', no, the women's sincerity. For they were clearly women grown, able to live on their own, adapt to an utterly alien environment, and still hold their faith. She set the sack into her desk, and after performing an obeisance toward the Book of Aku, put out the candles, and laid down on her pad, where sleep was long in the coming. If she could only work out out why the Samurai had spared Aki.

In their chamber, the girls lay down, resting their heads upon the stones that had been their pillows for so long. It was not so bad as they had feared, the irregular walls and roof and the flickering torches beyond the entrance familiar, almost comforting, the wordless devotions edging onto restful in some ways, however disturbing their meaning had become. Even so, they ached to hold each other, craving that most simple and basic of comforts; sleep was long in coming, and far from peaceful.


	35. Key to the City

When the mealtime bell tolled, the Daughters went quickly to the main hall, and realized to their shock that they had never before seen the faces of the sisters, only the masks they wore. It seemed so strange, even surreal, but they collected their meal of dried meat, assorted nuts, and fruit leather, with water as always, then took a place on the floor with the others, thanking their (former) Lord for His generosity. Though they didn't realize it consciously, knowing that the other sisters did in fact share the diet they'd had growing up was oddly pleasing to them, but the near-total silence of the dining hall disturbed them greatly by comparison with the green room chatter they'd come to know. The meal was as austere that they'd remembered, though they'd expected no more at that point in the year, and once they were done, they followed their mother to the top of the spire where they'd won their masks.

"Mother," Aji asked, "why do you have extra masks?"

From behind her mask, the High Priestess' voice was as cool and collected as they had expected. "There were seven of you, and nine trainers. Those who survived the assault would be the strongest."

Aji nodded to that, and Aki donned her new mask before they departed the temple once more, and once they were out of sight, linked their arms together and fell into step.

The High Priestess watched them depart the temple. "Our Lord Father's blessing on you, my beloved children," she said softly once they were out of earshot.

At the campsite, Jack chose, after some consideration, to park his bike inside the Daughters' tent, and after a simple dinner and a period of exercise, took his rest in his own tent. Jack had barely settled into his sleeping bag when he showed up. "So they've finally done it. They've shown their true colours. They'll probably have a whole squad of crazy women here at dawn, you know. You'll have to kill them, and their followers." "I do not believe that. First, I believe they are sincere; they told me their plans, kept me informed of their actions. Second, I have the weaponry needed to stop them: my stun gun, and extra cells, including the two Aki left behind, will be enough to stop any party they could bring against me without need of killing them." "Oh, of course! If those cells are charged. We both know that Aki's pretty smart. They're all smart, all cunning. They are totally ruthless, you know that!" "They are as ruthless as they need to be, but no more than that. We too can be ruthless, when we must. Ruthless is not the same as treacherous." "Oh for… they grew up worshipping Aku! They've willingly gone back to the Temple of Aku, the same temple they admitted to missing!" "Perhaps they have reverted, though I do not believe it. But even if they had, they could not lead a force here until morning, and we will need to be well-rested if they do. So just go away! Right or wrong, we need rest, not tormenting dreams!" Mad Jack growled, but reluctantly went… somewhere.

Came the morning, Jack rose and stretched, did some exercises, then dressed, and started the fire again. The Daughters had a full camping kit, including a portable stove, but even after so many years he was more comfortable with a simple campfire. Not long after he'd had his breakfast, Jack heard women's voices, familiar voices, raised in song.

"Step we gaily, on we go,/heel for heel and toe for toe,/Arm in arm and on we go,/All for sake of joyin'!" they sang in close harmony, a brightly cheerful song with few verses but many repetitions in different orders, and stepped in unison into the clearing, arm in arm and with a spring that edged onto dancing or true leaps, a bizarre contrast to their darksuits and kabuki-like masks.

"I take it your visit went well?" he asked, wondering but not asking when they had learned to sound like his friend Fergus.

Ami in particular was all smiles once they shed their masks. "Oh, the plan worked perfectly! Our mother and the other sisters accepted us as full adults! When Mother learned that we can read, she even held us close! She has never done that before! At least not that we can remember," she amended.

Ashi nodded. "She's placed the mission entirely in our hands, asking only that we return for the Long Night ceremonies. They're all convinced we're perfectly devout. It could not have gone better," she exulted.

Aki also nodded. "It was hard on us, with a restless night and very mixed feelings about the Night's Ebb service. And a disturbingly silent breakfast. But we'd expected all of that, and we won't need to go back until the next Long Night!"

Jack smiled gently to them. "I am pleased to hear that," he said, though inwardly he was troubled. Would that acceptance perhaps tempt them back to the worship of Aku? He would have to help them if they did start to fall back into their old ways.

After they emptied it of their bikes and their gear, Aji triggered the tent's collapse back into a rectangle. As they struck their portion of the camp, Jack struck his. "So, let us be off. I will take us to a man I know who can help us prepare to strike against Aku."

"No," Ashi said firmly and she and the others donned their leathers and readied their helmets. "We have slavers to stop first, and not much time before their next shipment goes out."

Adi nodded sharply. "We were raised from birth to protect the good in the world, no matter how warped an idea of that our mother might have. We couldn't abandon that if we wanted to." And as one, the Daughter donned their helmets, ran their systems checks, and pulled out onto the road. Jack followed them, smiling a bit. Perhaps he didn't need to be quite so concerned as he'd feared.

The eight figures rode along at high speed, Jack on point, Ashi taking rearguard, and the other sisters in pairs between them. Jack's large touring biking roared; the sisters' bikes whirred. Behind their helmets, the sisters smiled wide at the sights of farms and orchards, then the first grasslands and trees they'd seen in full bloom. Kilometres rolled by as they sought to outrace a particular wickedness.

Things rarely run smoothly for heroes; partway along, Aki pulled up alongside Jack and gestured to the side of the road. The girls pulled off their helmets, and Jack removed his, and she spoke a single word: "Listen."

Jack heard nothing, but kept quiet, and very soon, heard a faint squeaking, skittering sound. "Follow me, we need to ride as fast as we can," he said and pulled off, the girls following without question. That could come later.

A town, a village, really, surrounded by a high, thick wall came slowly into view. There were guards at the gates, humanlike but with bright yellow skins and limbs that didn't look quite properly connected. Jack pulled off his mask, and before they asked any questions, "Zanti!" The guard he addressed immediately vanished into the post, where he hit a button and an eerie sound echoed across the city. He drove on in, and the girls followed.

"Quickly, up the towers in pairs," he commanded. "Ashi, with me." She nodded, and the girls did as he said, looking out over the plains. At the top, they shed their leathers and readied their weapons; Jack drew his carbine and Ashi her bow.

"What are Zanti?" she asked.

"Insect-like creatures from another world. I do not know how they came here, but every now and again, they come together for a great and terrible migration. Normally, they are minor predators at worst, mostly they are scavengers. But a migrating swarm can and will kill and eat anything in its path. People can only shelter themselves and their animals behind great stone walls, like these."

Ashi frowned in thought. "Then why don't people wipe them out?"

"It has been tried, but it does not work. Zanti eggs are too hard find and destroy. And also, their migrations leave the soil churned and exceedingly fertile. Still, we must defend the city, force the swarm to split, go around the city instead of at the walls."

Ashi nodded, and as they watched the creatures approach asked him what they should do, her bow strung and her quiver ready at her back. For the first time ever, she drew a red arrow. "Ashi to Daughters, come in." A few moments later, "There's a swarm of killer insects coming; our job is to spilt the swarm. Get in pairs: Ami with Ari, Aki with Adi, Avi with Aji. Adi, you're our spotter. We'll fire where you target your electrolaser." She turned to Jack, "How close?" and nodded at his information. "When the Zanti are close enough to make out their faces clearly, fire. We'll follow your lead in this." The other sisters acknowledged her orders.

Too soon, the creatures appeared, charging directly at the city. Jack rested his carbines barrel on the edge of the tower's wall. At first the swarm was a mass of black and green iridescence. Then it was perceptible as dots, growing large, then finally… the Daughters' stomachs surged at the sight. Their heads were horrible, twisted parodies of human faces, eyes too large, mouths too small, and the girls held their fire only because they had orders to let Adi be their spotter. She sighted on one, and fired, and that location was drenched with lightning, coherent light, stun beams (deadly to creatures the size of medium dogs), and explosions. The Zanti died by the dozen, and the swarm split. The warriors continued to fire until their ammunition was spent and their power cells drained, then sank to seated positions against the low walls of the lookouts.

From below, they heard a building tumult, and looked down to see men and women with crossed wrists and bowed heads, a fair portion naked and some of those with their wrists crossed in back. Jack and the girls descended slowly, cautiously, and one particularly large being, wearing brown boots and black trousers, straightened up. "Thank you, great warriors. The Swarm could not breach our walls, but some always managed to climb them. You have saved many lives, both today and in future, and we are at your service until the sun has set and risen twice."

Jack nodded slowly. "And the unclad?"

He smiled. "They offer personal services, if you understand me."

Jack nodded, and blushed a bit. The Daughters' masks showed confusion faintly. "And the ones with wrists behind?"

The man grinned a bit wider. "They offer themselves, in all things and all ways."

Jacked bowed, and blushed brighter. "And if we do not wish such services?"

"Then they'll be disappointed, but not insulted. But come, you've clearly been riding hard and you've just fought a stressful battle. I'm sure you'd appreciate at least a chance to wash up and to have something to eat. We can discuss the rest later."

"Please," Jack said happily. The girls were not the only ones raised to extreme cleanliness, and he was glad of the opportunity to take a proper hot bath. First step was to clean himself, of course.

When he arrived at the bathing facility, he found to his surprise two unclad women there, apparently awaiting him. They crossed their wrists, hands back to back and a few centimetres apart. "Good day, hero. We are here to attend your bath," they said. "Do you wish us to remove your armour?"

He considered that. "Yes," he said. His armour was awkward to removed unaided. Possible, of course, but awkward. The two women were mostly professional about the process, though they did touch a bit more than was really necessary. He took it in stride as best he could, and began to clean himself.

"Warrior, how is bathing done in your home?" He told them, and one offered to wash his back, and the other his calves and feet. He accepted the offer, and was glad that when he began to rise to the occasion, they affected not to notice. He washed himself thoroughly, with their help, rinsed carefully, then entered the large warm tub. They entered as well, and politely made it clear they were entirely willing to satisfy any other personal desires he might have. Though it was an interesting thought, Jack chose to to politely decline.

They looked between themselves, then back to him. "Do you prefer men?" one asked, causing him to blush furiously.

"It is not that. You are both quite lovely, and I have no doubt such an interval would be most pleasant. But I feel such things should be between those who share a commitment, or at least fondness and affection."

Then both smiled at that. "Our species doesn't work that way. We mate quite casually, and if she becomes pregnant, the child is the bond between the parents, and their relationship grows from that. It's our nature. But we're not offended by your ways being different." They slowly moved in to hold him from the sides, and kiss his cheeks before moving away once more. He blushed, and the three spent an interval in light conversation.

The Daughters of Aku, having shed their masks, simply took turns cleaning their faces in a public restroom. Running water, warm running water especially, was luxury enough for them. While Jack soaked and talked, they sought out an electronics store, wanting to put a few extras into their masks. They then chose to wander the streets, seeing the sights of the city. Aji had the wit to ask if the aliens' food would be safe for a human, and was told that with rare exceptions in individuals, it was no worse than indigestible. So as they wandered, they tried many small foods, enjoying many, regretting some. The sheer variety of grain-based and dairy-based foods was still something they had trouble grasping. But it was certainly fun to try.

Eventually, the girls and Jack met up again, at an upscale hotel the town had offered them. The girls looked around with wide eyes, and Jack was impressed. Elegant, even extravagant, without quite crossing the line into gaudy, the lobby alone was enough to impress, lit by multiple chandeliers in a geometric style, floored in what appeared to be a single piece of wood. Couches and chairs and tables made nooks and circles for conversations, with soft music and large, arched windows promoting a relaxed atmosphere. The sisters settled into a pair of couches, and almost immediately relocated to the floor. A staff member came over. "Is there anything wrong? Most people find our furniture quite comfortable," he asked, sounding sincerely concerned.

Aki looked up to him. "No, we're just not accustomed to such things. We were raised in an ascetic temple."

The man's expression cleared. "We can help there," and gestured toward a different grouping. "The burgundy furniture is much firmer. Is there anything we can offer you while a suitable room is prepared?"

The girls rose smoothy, but not entirely in unison. "Some water will be enough," Aki said as they crossed to the other section and settled into the much firmer furniture he had indicated. "Thank you," she said with a sigh of relaxation as she settled into the wonderful softness.

Jack watched the tableau quietly, then went to join the girls. "And how did your day go?" he asked.

They told him, and Ashi asked, "Would you like to have your helmet and, mempo? fitted with the same gear as our hoods and masks? Flash protection, navigation, and communications."

Jack gaped briefly. "How do you know of such things?"

"We asked," Aji said. "The motorcycle seller was eager to tell us everything we could add to our vehicles and helmets, and now that Aki has a mask again, we asked to have them equipped with the same features."

He nodded. "That seems a wise choice." And so after a call to the relevant shop, and arranging for the transportation, Jack's kabuto and menpo were send out to be modified. After Jack had his dinner in the hotel restaurant, and the girls a shared appetizer platter, they went out to the back parking lot to spar and practice, then to their rooms.

The girls settled themselves first between the beds, and spent a time in meditation upon the Eedyk block, then divided themselves between the two beds, laying between the blankets and the bed covers. Upon the extremely firm mattresses, the girls slowly relaxed, luxuriating in the softness and warmth, gradually drifting off.

In his room, Jack also attempted a meditation. "Son," he heard, and glanced over to the source. His father, in the television set? "Son, where did you go, why did you not return? Have you failed, or worse, forgotten your quest?" "No! I would never do that! But with the time portals destroyed, I am lost, I have no way to get back, or to slay Aku without the sword!" "Son," his father moaned. "We need you, we need you to come back to us." "I cannot!" "It is giri, my son, you pledged to free our land from Aku, to free us!" Jack broke down, sobbing, head down. "Please, forgive me, Father!" "You abandoned your people, your purpose, my son, I cannot forgive you." "Oh, Father, have you no kind word?" There was no answer. Jack begged, pleaded, grovelled, and eventually gave up. Fighting back tears, he reluctantly undressed, and laid down upon the bed. Sleep was long in coming.


	36. Breakfast Surprise

Came the morning, Jack made use of the shower, and after dressing found himself leading the Daughters, who had chosen to produce their shoes and ordinary clothes, down to the hotel's dining room, where they could enjoy a good, satisfying breakfast. Jack noticed that the girls took very little of any one thing, instead loading their plates with small amounts of as many different things as they could.

Aji held up a curled, tapered bit of white meat she didn't recognize at all. "Jack, what is this?"

"That is called a prawn. Or at least it is something like one," he told them. "It is a type of sea creature, very popular."

She popped it into her mouth, eating it slowly. "Very tasty," she pronounced it, and her sisters ate theirs, then returned to eating bits of various things. Not long after, her eyes grew wide, as did theirs. "You… you… you're blue!" she stammered out.

They looked to each other. "We all are!" Ashi shrieked, and panicked babble soon filled the air, drawing a staffer's attention; Jack had held silent, not wanting to make things worse.

"Can I help you," the man asked.

Aki looked to him, eyes wide. "Why are we blue?" she nearly screamed.

He smiled a bit. "You're fine, it's a normal reaction to eating rainbow shrimp, perfectly harmless. Actually, you're starting to turn yellow. You'll change colour a few more times, then it will fade. A lot of people think it's fun."

They all looked at him, Jack included, as if he'd lost his mind. "Fun? This isn't fun, it's a nightmare!" Ami wailed. "Food shouldn't do this!"

"I'm sorry you're distressed, miss. Is there anything we can do to make it up to you?" he asked with professional solicitousness. They shook their heads and waved him off, then returned to their meals, though with notable reluctance.

Jack spoke up quickly. "Are there any other dishes with similar effects on humans?"

The staffer assured him there were not. "If it helps, such foods are very unusual. You can safely enjoy anything in the breakfast buffet." And he departed to tend to other customers.

The girls kept glancing into reflective surfaces, wanting to keep track of the changes and to know the moment they ended. Once the meal was done, they hurried outside, seeking out a grove of trees where they concealed themselves among the branches.

They finally returned to normal, and to the ground, and to Jack. They were still hyperventilating, and Jack asked of Aki, "What is wrong?"

Her eyes welled up with tears she would not shed. "Our faces turned black. Like… like… like his!" she wailed, and buried her face in her hands.

Jack beckoned the others over, and with gentle touches, encouraged them into physical contact with each other. "You need not feel ashamed. You all had the same experience. Now, help each other as seems best."

The girls accepted his words, and slowly began to hold each other more closely, ending with the seven on the ground in a pile, gently touching and caressing each other, their breathing slowly returning to normal. After a time, they disentangled themselves, and stood. "Thank you, Jack," they chorussed.

Well, that set his mind at ease on one subject: they were no longer worshippers of Aku. The girls who had first come after him would have been delighted to more nearly resemble their lord. Though watching their display had brought him to an important realization.

"We should explore," Ashi said to her sisters. "Each take a a different direction." She faced directly away from Jack. "Outer circle," and the others made a seven-faced diagram. "Go!" and they dashed away to explore the new city, leaving Jack with a puzzled look. Well, why not? And he walked out to explore.


	37. Shopping, Fighting, Play and Prayers

Avi's swift strides carried her to a building similar to the one that had housed Toil and Trouble: large, tall, windowless, with doors on each side. But the differences were profound even to her untutored eye: Large tiles covered the outer walls, each a portion of a picture. Men and women of the city's yellow-skinned, large-eyed race, in minimal attire, made up one section; in another, naked children played on slides, swings, and other such equipment. Others showed people engaged in athletics, or families looking at pictures. At least she presumed they were families, going from what she recalled of Jack's explanations of the Solstice decorations. Other sections showed other activities, and she walked around the building several times before finally walking in the unguarded doors.

Inside, the building was like and unlike the other; men and women, yes, but also children and some who seemed to be between very large children and very small adults. She knew how she and her sisters had developed, of course, yet there seemed to be no equivalent to their post-child, pre-adult period, only children, the transitional, and adults of various sizes. The merchandise was quite different, and more importantly the general ambience, in a way she couldn't quite identify. But her wanderings took her past various stores, and eventually into an area that sold various sorts of food. Still well-fed from breakfast, she contented herself with learning the names of a few new foodstuffs. Of the stores, some she could understand. Clothing, books and magazines, those were clear. Others, she could have only honestly described as "rectangular solids with things in them." But it was fascinating to see them, even if she didn't quite have the nerve to ask about them.

Aji's travels took her down broad, but largely untrafficked, streets, lined with large buildings with curved sides and curious crests over their doors, seemingly carved from single great stones and placed behind tall fences made from intertwined strands of what she had learned was called plastic. Men and some women moved between the buildings with synchronized steps, or fought each other in open areas. Their clothes were odd, strangely patterned. She saw target ranges, and what she presumed to be exercise courses, and strange vehicles that looked like large… oh, she could not remember the name of them! She wasn't even sure she knew the name, only that she had seen them in the fields outside the city where they had wintered over. Whatever they were called, these things had extremely large guns on top of them. She could not help but wonder what god was worshipped on the site. Certainly not Aku, she would have known instantly. But their devotion was admirable, whoever they worshipped. Perhaps… perhaps they worshipped multiple gods? That would explain the many structures. Multiple temples, shared cooking and eating spaces, ritual combat between congregations, that fit with what she saw and heard and smelled. What a marvellous city, where a dozen gods or more could be praised in a single place. Wonders unending.

As she approached the guarded gate, Aji slowed, and turned to the sentry. "May I go in? I wish to pay my respects."

The young man shook his head. "No entry without authorization," he told her firmly.

She bowed to him. "Thank you," she said, and went on her way. She kicked herself mentally for not realizing sooner the orders were cloistered. Still, the district was intriguing, and she continued to wander for a time, then turned back toward the hotel and her sisters.

Ari found herself almost immediately in an area filled with curving paths, broad swaths of grass, trees like tall tents, playgrounds with curved sides and sandy floors, and most of all, tall, round towers faced with glass. She slowly walked the area, gazing around as she went, especially watching the children at play. It was such a wonderful thing to see, children being happy. She envied them bit, but not for all the world would she have spoiled their happiness. A child hardly big enough to walk well toddled up to her, tapped her leg, then toddled away again, saying a simple word Ari didn't understand. A man then walked up beside her. "Chase her. Slowly, of course. She wants to play with you."

Ari frowned, then did as asked. Play itself was still a largely foreign concept to her, but she understood the concept of tag from her exercises in the city, and so went after the little girl, keeping her speed down to the toddler's and deliberately missing with many strikes. The child dashed about and made sounds she now knew were happy sounds; soon enough, the girl's interest shifted to a slide, and Ari found herself invited to games with the older children, mostly tag and variants thereof, enjoying it surprisingly much. Eventually, of course, her stomach insisted on food over play, and so she pled need and turned her face hotel-ward.

Ashi made her way to an area whose signs she didn't understand at all. Oh, the words were clear, but the meanings were considerably less so. What was a "barrister?" Or an "accountant?" The tall buildings were very beautiful, to be sure, but what did people do in them? Many people went in and out, so clearly people did a lot, but that was all she knew. She wandered in and out of the buildings, reading the signs, trying to work out what the numbers meant, and at one particular building froze cold. It could not be. It must not have been. And yet, as surely as the fall of night, it was. She forced herself to breathe slowly, and to think about the numbers. They meant something, showed somehow how to reach places. Wait. Yes. That just might be it. She walked over to the banks of sliding doors, and looked at the lights above them, watching them go on and off. When the light over one door changed to the letter that meant "earth" or "land," that door opened. She stepped in, and looked around. A panel with numbered buttons. She pushed the highest number, and jumped to the ceiling when the floor shifted under her. She was ready to drop down when the ceiling jerked briefly downward, and the door slid open.

Ashi stepped out into a brightly lit hall which led to stairs at each end, stairs of what looked like dark stone, and at the top, a light far too familiar. Taking her courage in both hands, she climbed the stairs, dreading what she might find.

Dark stone, or what looked like dark stone, on floors and walls. Torches, tall torches, shed light the dark ceiling did nothing to spread. The main light source was just what she'd feared: an idol of Aku, much like the one she had prayed to more times than she wanted to think about, though much smaller. Before the idol, people of the city bowed in prayer, men and women alike. The chants were different, the clothing strikingly so; where the Daughters of Aku had covered themselves crown to sole, the men wore only loose pants gathered at the ankles, and the women similar pants gathered just above the knee, with fabric bands covering their breasts. Even so, there was no mistaking their devotion, and the spiritual coldness that permeated the great hall. Held by her own curiosity, Ashi listened to their prayers.

"Lord Aku guide us, Lord Aku shelter us. In Your shadows we find safety, in Your word we find wisdom," the apparent leader said, and the other repeated, several times. Then, "We thank you, Aku, for sending the Deliverers," he said, and the others repeated, "We thank you." Then the high priest (she presumed) rose and turned to face the congregation. His eyes opened wide, and he told the others to rise and turn as well. "Our Lord shows us special favour, sending one of the Deliverers that we may thank her in person! May we know your name and your tale, Deliverer?"

Ashi blinked slowly, several times, then answered. "I am Ashi, and my tale is this," and she told them of her raising and her training, of how she and her sisters fought the samurai, and were defeated, and what had come after.

The high priest approached her. "Welcome to our temple, Ashi of the Daughters of Aku, Ashi Twice-Blessed," he said and bowed deeply.

"Twice-Blessed?" she asked, baffled beyond words.

"Of course," he said. "Come, let us sit and talk," and he guided her to the back of the temple, another man following them while the rest of the supplicants resumed their prayers. She sat cross-legged as the men did, and the high priest introduced himself. "I am Zagis, priest of this temple, and this is Debak, our scholar. I will leave the explanation to him."

The second man smiled to the priest. "Thank you. You see," he said to Ashi, "you are twice blessed because you were raised into the service of Aku, and now have been trained into the service of the Samurai, Aku's unknowing ally."

Ashi's bafflement was clear on her face. "His ally? But he hates Aku, and seeks to destroy him!"

"Yes," the scholar agreed. "And in his rage against Aku, he destroys Aku's creations. Aku is a creator, Ashi, but if there were none to check his creation, there would be no room in the world for anything else. And so, though they know it not, the Samurai aids Aku and all the world, clearing away the unneeded and obsolete so that there will always be room for new things, both of Aku and of others."

"I… I need to think about this," she temporized as she stood. "It's a lot to take in." The men nodded, and thank her once more. Then they both held her, lightly, one on each side, and kissed her cheeks, though the light of the temple hid her blush. When they stepped back, Ashi departed, head in a whirl. Once back on the ground floor, she sought out a library to sit and contemplate, then turned her steps hotel-ward. She needed to talk to her sisters about this.


	38. Grey, Green, Black and Red

Aki took streets and turns more or less at random, and found herself in a relatively noisy area, where she slowed almost entirely to a stop as she tried to make sense of what she was seeing and hearing. Vehicles, huge vehicles, rolled along the streets, turned off and on from patches of bare, dead-looking ground, stopped at large structures, received or dumped various sorts of rock or long… objects was all the name she could give to the things placed on the vehicles. The rumbles and roars were vast, omnipresent, and as she cringed back against a building, breath coming fast, she wanted to just run away. But no. She was a Daughter of Darkness, and the Daughters of Darkness did not yield to fear. She scuttled up the wall of the building, seeing now the utility of the odd shoes Jack had gifted to them.

From her elevated vantage, the area's pattern was clearer, though not its purpose. Glancing inside the structure to which she clung, she gasped in horror at the huge fire pits, the falls of flaming liquid, the otherwise dark interior, the figures in strange, shapeless clothes performing unclear tasks with long rods. Powers of Light, what was this place? It was almost like the Hall of Worship on an even larger scale, was this some kind of temple to Aku? No, no, it couldn't be! Could it? But that didn't make any sense, why would a temple need those strange trucks to come and go? She must be missing something. The girl climbed higher, and on the roof, looked around. There was a rough pattern: people took trucks to some places where they dumped… she wasn't sure what, but it looked like coarse dust and large rocks, then other machines moved them to other vehicles that went to and from the buildings. Then there were the machines where large rocks went up a conveyor and were reduced to smaller rocks, then the smaller rocks were dumped into large piles. But why would anyone do such things? Aki withdrew to somewhere she could hear her own thoughts, and turned back to the hotel, wondering which of her sisters would be there.

Adi walked slowly through an area that seemed filled with bright colours, and peculiar, but pleasant, sounds. The words on the buildings were easy to pronounce, but didn't always make sense. "Miniature World," well, she knew what a world was, but how could a world be a building? And what did miniature mean? "Bug Zoo?" Neither word meant anything to the girl, except that it somehow involved strange looking animals. She finally decided to turn in at sign that read "Butterfly Gardens." She had no idea what a garden was, or a butterfly, but she wanted to find out! So she paid the entrance fee, and walked through the ornately framed frosted glass, then stepped quickly aside to give herself time to make sense of what she was seeing. Brightly coloured flying things seemed to be everywhere, and plants she'd never dreamed possible, and a path seemed fairly clear, so she walked it slowly, looking every way and at everything, stepping slowly across a small bridge over a great pond.

She stepped clear of the main flow of people to look out over the pond, seeing large fish of many colours, red and white and black in patches, no two alike, and a strange light red animal she guessed was perhaps a bird, standing on a single leg. It didn't look much like a dove, except for having two legs and feathers, but she didn't know what else it could be. She shook her head in confusion and wonder, and walked on. The place was so bright, so warm, so wet, and something in her wanted to feel that more fully. As she walked, the yearning grew, and she sat upon a bench, heartsore. She wanted to remove her darksuit, but that was impossible; it was a part of her, she might as well try to peel back her own skin. But on, how she wished she could. She sighed heavily, then found a small niche out of sight of the main path.

Somewhat concealed, as much privacy as she'd ever known in the temple, Adi sat in full lotus and imagined the Eedyk idol sitting upon the pavement. The visualization solid, she began to meditate upon it, just as she had once done with the idol of Aku. The rest of the garden began gradually to fade as her visualization took up her attention, then the visualization itself slowly dwindled as the rest of the garden reasserted itself in her awareness. Her new equilibrium restored, Adi rose, and resumed her slow wander, fascinated by the strange plants and animals. She still didn't know what a butterfly actually was, she realized, and on the way out, collected a folded paper, stowing it in her shadows before heading back toward the hotel.

Ami's quick, light steps slowed as she went away from the hotel area of the city, entering into a segment where the streets were lined with tall, tapering buildings clad in dark, rough stone and dull glass. She pulled into herself as she walked, eyes widening slightly, and she felt her breath quickening as she walked in the shadowed, treeless streets.

As she walked, she couldn't help noticing the lack of people; for so many buildings, and so tall, the streets were nearly empty. The sidewalks of the same rough, black stone as the buildings, the quiet streets, she wanted to turn and run, but instead stepped into a narrow alleyway. What would her sisters think if she fled? She was Ami, Daughter of Aku, Daughter of Darkness, bravest of the brave (after Ashi), first to laughter, first to tears, she would not allow a mere collection of stones to frighten her off. No matter how much they reminded her of the stalagmites that had pierced her more than once in their training. She had set herself the goal of exploring the city, and she would not relent. The Daughters of Aku, the Daughters of Darkness, did not relent. But oh, how she wanted to.

She read the words on the buildings; they were easy to pronounce, but carried no meaning. Every step was harder than the last, with the sunlight fainter, the buildings higher and more rugged, the flame-lit brushed metal letters more reminiscent of the torches in the temple, and the fire kept always burning at least a little before the idol. O Powers of Light, why would such warm and friendly people have such a horrible area? Slowly, ever more slowly, Ami kept on, and spotted a smaller building, ones with words on it she understood, into which she stepped.

More dark stone, more firelight. And a woman at a desk of dark wood, a woman wearing a wraparound top of red, with black edges. "Good afternoon," the woman said to her in a bright tone. "How may I help you?"

Ami looked around, now utterly baffled. "I… what do you do here?" she asked, her normally composed expression cracking to show fear and confusion.

"We run things," the woman told her. "I'll have my supervisor talk to you," and the pressed a button below her desk's edge.

Shortly, a tall man in a red tunic with black lower sleeves and red pants with broad black piping entered the room. "Please, come to my office," the man said to her, his voice deep and rich. Ami followed him, and sat in a hard wooden chair. "Would you like something to drink? I don't keep liquor here," he offered.

Ami nodded. "Water will be fine." After she had a few long swallows, she managed to gather herself enough to ask her questions. "I… why? Why does this look like this? So… so dark, so wicked. I… I'm sorry," she stammered. "I don't want to sound disrespectful."

The man smiled. "Many of the other races feel that way. But to us, these government buildings speak to deep instincts. The firelight is restful, the dark stone reassuring. Black and red are to us what blue and green are to you. But you have other questions, do you not?"

Ami nodded. "What do you actually do here?"

"Well," he said after taking a bit of some orange-coloured drink, "how much do you know about government?"

"Not much," she admitted. "I grew up in a temple, very small and very isolated."

"Well, did you have someone who was in charge?"

"My mother. And below her, Rika, her enforcer, and Ayano, her assistant."

"Good, that helps. The more people you have, the more assistants and enforcers the leaders need. With enough people, the assistants need assistants, and the leader stops directly controlling anything, instead directing the people who direct the people who direct the people to do things. This city is the centre of government for a vast region, so our government district is large. I'm sorry if its appearance frightened you, Ami," he concluded, sounding quite sincere. "If you wish, I can call a cab to take you out of the area more quickly."

She rose, shakily. "I'd like that, please. I want to go back to my hotel." And so she did.

Jack had seen the ways the girls went, and simply turned around, taking the last direction. Once away from the hotel district, he noticed a sharp change in the architecture: rough-looking black stone sheathed most of the buildings. The stores, he saw, were mostly of a nature that made him very glad the girls had not come that way. He did not blush overmuch, as his travels had ofttimes made it needful to go through such areas, but at the same time, he could not help but notice how many of the people in the area were either bare-chested or simply bare, with a great deal of kissing and fondling happening in small niches. Men with women, mostly, but men with men and women with women as well. Finally, his curiosity got the better of him, and he turned into what he presumed to be a tavern of some sort.

Two sets of doors took him to the interior, pleasantly warm but not overly so, carpeted in a medium green and with furniture of light wood, lit by what he recognized to be a cunning approximation of firelight. A woman of the local species stood behind a podium, clad in only heeled shoes and a small apron. She smiled brightly to him. "Good day, Deliverer! Are you here just for a drink, or a girl as well?"

Jack frowned in puzzlement. "I do not think I quite understand. What sort of place is this? I thought it simply a tavern."

The hostess' mouth made a round "O" of comprehension. "You've never dealt with our species, have you?"

"Only a little, why?"

She gestured to a padded bench. "Would you like to sit. It's pretty quiet right now, so I can give you some explanations."

Jack sat as invited. "I would appreciate that. I have been told your species mates very casually, but… "

She nodded to that. "We do. But it's usually considered bad manners to be too public about it. This part of the city is the exception, it's where people come who want to be more public, or to do less usual things. Like here, some of the tables have women secured to them; later on, almost of them will have women attached. Any man who wants can enjoy them in any way their bindings allow. There are places where couples go to perform for audiences, others for those who enjoy rough treatment, and so on. I've been fastened to a few tables myself, it's fun once in a while. And of course there are similar establishments for men who like men, and women who like women, and people who like both."

Jack's blushes had risen during her explanation, and he seized onto onto a particular point to continue the conversation. "You asked if I would like just a drink; are there any establishments here that offer only food and drink?"

The woman considered. "Well, you could go to one place I know. They have excellent teas and all sorts of pastries. It's for women who like women, and men who enjoy watching women with women, but at this hour, they probably don't have anyone on stage."

"That sounds a very good choice," Jack agreed carefully, and the hostess gave him the directions. Before he could leave, she quickly kissed his cheek and wished him a good day. He withdrew, cheeks hot and head spinning a bit. What a strange, strange people, he thought. After more walking, and some blush-inducing displays, he found the place he'd been directed to, and stepped into the very pleasant smells of teas and cakes and pastries; there were both tables and booths, but only one booth was occupied and he took a seat without a sightline to it. The decor was simple, a checked tile floor in black and grey, deep pink upholstery and light wood, but again lit by that imitation of firelight.

The nearly bare server came to him, and smiled brightly. "Good day, Deliverer! You would like a menu?" She was a tiny thing, not even so tall as the Daughters; pretty but so small she seemed barely out of childhood.

He shook his head. "Only some hot water."

She frowned in puzzlement for a moment. "Oh! You have your own tea! Certainly, Deliverer," she said, and hurried away, then back with a cup, teapot and kettle. "Enjoy," she said, and went behind the counter.

Jack added a bit of tea to the pot, then some hot water, then waited for it to steep. The couple in the other booth said romantic-sounding things in their own language, which made Jack smile a bit. It was pleasant, hearing a young couple in love. In due course, his tea was properly steeped, and he poured himself a cup, enjoying it slowly. As he did, two other couples came in and found booths of their own; unsurprisingly, one couple wore only shoes (one carried a purse), and the other added one pair of pants. He returned his attention to his tea, then on the way out, thanked the waitress. He found himself a bit turned about upon departing, and so spent more time that he had intended wandering the streets of the section before he found his way back to his hotel, and waited in the lobby for the girls to return and his blushes to cool.

By mid-afternoon, the Daughters had gathered once more with Jack on the sward behind their hotel, and told each other their tales, with animation and excitement, mostly. Ashi sat silent, and Ami told her tale with reluctance and clear discomfort; at its end, Adi gave her a hug to help comfort her. How they have changed! Jack thought. Finally, they turned to him.

"Jack," Aki asked, "what was that building I looked into, with the fire pits and the people in heavy robes?"

He considered that question. "I believe that was an industrial area, a place for the making of parts of buildings and other large objects, and the building what is called a foundry, a place where metals are extracted from rocks. They are very dangerous places if one is careless."

Ashi finally spoke. "Samurai, I… I was in a part of the city where people did things I can only name. But… there was one I could understand. It was a temple to Aku! And they called you his ally!"

Jack's eyes flew open, and her sisters looked to each others and to him in utter confusion, queries forming and being cut short. "Why would they think me his ally?" he asked, bafflement and disgust thick upon his words.

Ashi looked down, hands clenched upon her thighs. "They say that… that Aku is a great creator, but without you, his creations would fill the world, and so you aid him by destroying his creations, though neither of you know it."

Jack almost laughed, but suppressed it with considerable effort. "They are wrong. There are those who Aku employs who create things, but I have never known him to create anything, save perhaps some great monsters, like the gulper you slew."

Ashi sighed in relief. "I'm glad to know that. They seemed so… welcoming. Kind, friendly. Not at all like the sisters of our temple. Even if the temple itself held the same coldness of spirit as the Hall of Worship in ours."

Jack frowned in thought. "I will go to them tomorrow, speak with them. If you girls wish to come, you may. From what Ashi says, I am sure you would be made welcome."

The girls huddled together, whispered in a strange, vowel-heavy language he hadn't heard before, though from their tone it was clear the idea left them unsettled at best. They sat back, and Ashi turned to face him. "We'll have to discuss it tonight. So… what did you do today?"

He smiled. "I explored an area dedicated mostly to entertainments that would probably not interest you. They are based in certainly peculiarities of this species."

"Peculiarities?" Aji asked.

Jack nodded. "They are not humans, and so it is only be expected that they differ from humans in some ways. The worlds that circle other stars hold many sorts of thinking beings, all of whom are unlike humans in some way. There are beings that eat only meat, for example, and others that eat only plants. Some live in the water, and there is even one race that neither has nor uses anything that is made, only things that are grown. They have patiently bred, for example, grasses that grow into huts, and other grasses that act as knives and slicing whips."

The girls looked to each other, then Avi spoke for them all. "Truly?"

He nodded solemnly. "They are called the Tasamamo, and you can read about them in most better libraries." He smiled. "I once met a group of beings to whom the hunt was everything," and he told them the tale of his confrontation with the Imakandi. The girls gasped and shuddered and stared all through the tale, and finally settled on looks of pure amazement. Strange, strange girls, he thought again. Hardened, blooded killers, yet in so many ways, little more than small children.

Ashi stood, gestured for her sisters to do the same and Jack followed their lead. "We need to practice, and this looks like a good place," she said, producing her kusarigama; the others produced or drew their weapons, and the session began, all against all. As they leapt and dashed, struck and dodged, too fast for most eyes to follow, a crowd started to gather, staying at a safe distance; the fighters noticed the crowd, but disregarded the onlookers as irrelevant to their chaotic combat. For chaotic it was, Jack and the girls making brief partnerships, only to dissolve them moments later, until a pattern emerged, of Ashi, Jack, Ami and Aki against Adi, Ari, Aji and Avi. Aiding and supporting each other as they were learning to do, the four girls held out against Jack and their sisters for several long minutes, but eventually, Jack's advantage of size and skill was insuperable, and it was his team that won. He returned his sheathed blade to his belt, and the girls vanished their weapons, the vanquished rising only to bow to the victors, who bowed to them in return, then they all bowed to the cheering crowd.

By this time, the sun was setting, and so the eight returned to the hotel lobby, where the desk clerk waved to draw their attention, then when they went over, passed them several packages, which they opened after settling in in the burgundy conversation pit. Within the boxes, their masks and headpieces, Jack's menpo and kabuto, and instruction sheets. They read the sheets, configured their newly enhanced equipment, and quietly tested the sound quality and other enhancements before the girls vanished their masks and Jack removed his menpo.

After a day filled with walking, and an extended sparring session, it was time and past time for a much needed dinner. This time, Aji asked the hostess if anything there would have unusual effects on people. But before they were seated, Jack pointed to the sign that held the daily specials, and the girls smiled at what they read. They did not wait overlong before they were seated a great round table with a turntable in the centre, and a busboy brought them fresh bread and some sort of spread; the bread had a strange, slightly oily taste to it, and the yellow-green spread tasted faintly of some sort of nut. They all ate with good appetite, and when the waitress came, Jack ordered tea and the daily special for them. Again, their meal came quickly, and more tea with it. The girls' grins were best described as predatory, but Jack did not chide them for it. Not when the special was a whole Zanti thorax, legs attached.

They turned the carcass on the table's rotating centre, and Ami's look intensified. "I think I killed this one. No marks." She turned to face Jack. "How do we eat it?"

Jack smiled, and picked up the implements they'd been brought. "You take this little chisel, and this hammer, and use them to crack the shell. Then, we simply pull the shell apart, and take out the meat with our hands, or with these little hooks," he said. "I have never eaten Zanti meat, but I have eaten other things that are like it. Dip the meat in the warmed sauce in your dishes." He just hoped it was tasty to humans.

Avi began the actual eating, by pulling a leg from the thorax, then turning it to Aji, who repeated the process, and one by one, the others did the same, leaving the central body for Ashi and Jack to start on. The girls cracked the legs with their hands, and ripped out the blue-white meat, dunking each chunk in the clear yellow sauce. Jack stared at their appalling manners, and Ami grinned, and pointed past his shoulder. He turned, and saw another group with a thorax, eating much the same way as the girls, then turned to Ashi.

"So… since it seems the proper way to eat this, shall we?" he asked her. She answered with a knife hand strike that split the thorax nearly in two, followed by ripping it open and tearing out a chunk of meat larger than her fist. Jack smiled, and did much the same. The meal was messy, to be sure, but quite delicious, the taste of meat delicate, a bit like prawn or shrimp only stronger, the sauce sour, sweet and peppery all at once, and the whole eminently filling with a good chunk of thorax left over. Jack looked down at this clothes, and sighed. Once the waitress returned, he asked about the matter.

She smiled brightly. "It's not a problem at all. Just put your soiled clothes in the laundry dumbwaiter you'll find in your suite's bathroom, and by tomorrow morning your clothing with be clean and fresh. What about your companions? Will they need any polish?"

That question prompted interesting images, but he shook his head. "Their darksuits are self-cleaning. But thank you for your consideration. I will do so. Now, concerning the reminder of the meal?"

Her smile remained. "Of course! we'd be pleased to box it; would you like one box, or eight?"

"One will do," he assured her.

"Certainly! And would you like a dessert menu?"

"Ah… yes. Yes, please," he answered, and she hurried off with the remaining thorax. Shortly after, she returned with the promised dessert menu, and to Jack's complete lack of surprise, the girls chose the dessert sampler plates. Each was meant for four, so they requested three, all different, and Jack knew exactly were that would lead.

With their meal finished, Jack and the girls returned to the Daughters' room, sitting on chairs and beds. "So, what do we do after we deal with the slavers?" Ashi asked. "That's our top priority; we should talk with that Aku cult, but that can wait. Delaying here was only worthwhile because we could get those upgrades, this can't wait."

Jack frowned in thought. "I know a man who, if I know him and his, is probably organizing, or more likely by now has organized, a resistance movement to Aku. We will seek him out, and offer our services to him. I must warn you, he is… very boisterous. And his people even more so."

The girls nodded to that. "After we deal with the slavers, we should come back here, speak more with the cult," Adi said. "We're missing something basic about them, from what Ashi's said."

Aji nodded. "As for finding the slavers, here's our current plan," and the discussion began.

Jack retired to his room, and put his soiled clothes in the dumbwaiter, then sat upon the bed and attempted a meditation. His breathing deepened, became steady, his pulse slowed, and… "What is wrong with you!? Can you not see they're playing you for a fool? Do you really think Ashi found that cult by accident? They're all friendly and welcoming to their 'Deliverer,' do you really think the girls aren't already planning to join them? It's what they grew up on, only better!" His robes were tinged more with red, his features sharper, almost demonic, his voice harsh and demanding. "Perhaps, but I do not think so. No-one sane would worship Aku." "So? They've been trained from birth for one purpose: to kill! They're not exactly right in the head, and you know it! They've lived in an alien world these last few months, you think they don't want to go back to something they understand, something they know? And this cult can give them friendship and caring, so they don't even have to give up anything!" "Except for one thing: they have rejected Aku, and do not wish to return. Remember how pleased they were when they returned from their temple?" "Of course I do! And they were glad to leave because the worshippers are cold and heartless! These ones are friendly and warm toward them!" "Perhaps so, but they have come to love the greater world. I do not believe they would so readily abandon that." He sneered. "Then you're an idealistic idiot!" "You have made that claim before. And you have never yet been right about the girls; why should I think you are right now?" "Because that was only the girls, not the girls and some new cult that can give them everything they want: love, friendship, caring, and a home like the one they know! They're not even a cloistered order!" "But they would need to do one thing they do not wish to do: worship Aku. It was difficult for them to be near even a false idol of Aku, how much worse would it be for them to sleep under a true idol?" "Not hard enough," he said, voice dripping with contempt. "We shall see. I will not borrow trouble with them; we have enough to deal with." "Well, you'd better figure out what to do when they fall back into Aku's service, and they will." "I will deal with that when and if it happens," he said firmly. "Now begone!" Mad Jack faded, but beyond the curtains, there was a faint green glow. Jack didn't even notice it.


	39. Love, Freedom and Friendship

The next morning dawned grey, to the Daughters' intense disappointment. But they washed their faces and hair, then went down to meet Jack for breakfast. He was dressed differently, they saw: reds and blues in place of his usual black and deep greens. They themselves had produced their clothes, and after some searching, the eight found the table space to enjoy their breakfast at leisure. There was neither tension nor talk over breakfast, and after collecting their personal effects, they went down to the front desk, where Jack showed them how to check out. In the parking garage, they found the Daughters' racing bikes and Jack's tourer not merely clean but sparkling, showroom-quality clean and detailed. Jack smiled, and strapped on his armour while the Daughters vanished their clothes and donned their leathers and helmets. A few moments after, they were back on the road, making best speed for the next step toward really ruining someone's day.

Most of the way to the city, Jack led them off the main road as they passed through a village surrounded by dairy farms. "We need to address a gap in your education," he said. "I will find the educator you need. Do not wander too far; I will call you once this is done." The girls nodded.

Jack walked to the village store, asked his needed question, and got his answer. A short drive later, he was at the door of a relatively large home, at which he knocked, after removing his menpo. A woman about the same age as his mother when he last saw her answered; she was of average height and more muscular than he had expected, with greying hair once lustrous brown.

She took a sharp step back. "Ah… who are you?" she asked. "Can I… help you?"

Jack smiled gently. "I am called Jack, and… may I come in? This will require a little explaining."

The woman stepped back, and Jack stepped in. "My apologies if I started you; I often travel through potentially dangerous territories."

She nodded slowly. "I see. And what brings you to me? It can't be the usual."

He considered that. "It is… and is not. I travel with a group of… of warrior nuns. They were raised by a cloistered order, and so have profound gaps in their education, and I do not feel qualified to fill some of them."

The old woman put on some tea. "So… how much do they know?"

"They know that men are not women, and as far as I know that is the extent of it. They have only been out in the greater world for a few months. I don't even think they know what a woman's cycle is."

She frowned at Jack. "Are you serious?"

He nodded solemnly. "The curious dark garments that sheathe them absorb blood; I have seen it happen."

"I… see," she said slowly. "I'll give them the basics."

Jack put his menpo on, and contacted the girls. Soon enough they pulled up on their bikes, and Jack excused himself. The midwife would handle this, and he took the opportunity to buy some additional provisions, mostly tinned goods and powdered drinks, some sausages he'd come to like while he'd been learning woodcraft and archery, and fuel cakes for the bikes' generators.

After the lesson, the girls gathered around their bikes, then donned their helmets, expressions troubled. "We need to contact Jack, talk abut tonight's sleeping arrangements," Ashi said, and the others nodded sharply. They and he rendezvoused on the road, Ashi in the lead and Jack taking rearguard. The rest of the day and well into the night they drove, then Ashi spotted a grove of trees that she considered promising for their campsite. Quickly, Ari deployed the yurt, and they wheeled their bikes into it. Ashi turned to Jack. "The midwife explained the ways of men and women, and… we still wish to share our tent with you, Jack. You are not the sort to force such things on anyone, and even if you were, you couldn't force yourself on us anyway," she said with a crooked smile. "And we want to share our sleeping pile with you, it feels so warm, inside," and she touched her heart.

He removed his kabuto and menpo. "I would be honoured, Daughters of Darkness," ha answered with a bow.

They returned the bow, and Aji spoke. "There is room enough for your bike," and gestured to it. "We'll all have to sleep close, but we planned to anyway."

He considered, and they moved his bike inside with their own. The yurt, he saw, was black, with grey striations and reddish-orange lighting.

"We got this one for cheap because the dye work and the lights are so poor for most. But to us, it's perfect, like our chamber but warmer and with a soft floor. And no chanting," she added with a bright smile. She sealed the door only moments before the patter of rain began. Jack began to remove his armour, then Ami volunteered to help. Soon, he was down to his fundoshi, normal sleeping attire for him. And the girls had seen him so before, so no reason to be embarrassed. As they settled in, making a soft, warm pile of themselves, they spread pillows as needed, then finally a comforter, the one he himself had given them. Slowly, the eight drifted off to sleep, and the lights put themselves out.

"Why are you even pretending to want to live?" he demanded in the dojo/bordello cross where they'd faced each other. "You keep teaching these girls, making them more independent, more dangerous! And there's nothing honourable about teaching Aku worshippers to be more dangerous!" "True… but they no longer worship Aku. They have not prayed to him for weeks or months, except when they returned to the temple, and they told us about that!" "So? Like mother, like daughters: she raised them to be pragmatic and ruthless, they're just using you to learn enough to survive on their own, to draw you into a false sense of security and trust in them! They told you themselves that she's extremely patient; she and her followers put nearly twenty years into training them for the purpose of killing you!" "And if it takes twenty more to heal them, then we'll take those years! It's not as if we have no time." "There are easier ways of killing yourself, you know. Honourable, decent, respectable. I'm sure Aki would make a wonderful second, she could easily have your head off with a single stroke." "And then what of our quest? We might yet recover the sword, or find some other way to kill Aku. We've come achingly close before." "But not close enough! Aku still lives, and sooner or later he'll learn you have no sword. And when that happens…" "Enough! I have had all I wish from you!" "Heh. We'll see." And though it was not visible to the sleepers, a green glow appeared in the forest.

Jack's moans and twitching disturbed Ami's rest, and she rose from deep slumber to the realm of dreams. In this, she walked through the temple; she heard the chants and prayers, she saw the torches, yet wherever she turned, no-one. No living soul save herself, yet she heard them clearly. The Sisters' chambers, empty of sisters; the dining hall, the kitchens, barren. Finally, the Hall of Worship, where she rang the gong that called the faithful to prayer. Slowly, they filtered in, gliding smoothly, black clothed and pink masked. But she could see through them, they were… no. No, no, no! Rika, the huge brutish enforcer, drifted up to her, her mother just beside. "Ami. Aku has heard of your faithlessness," the High Priestess hissed, "and for our failure, we have been punished. Until the end of eternity, we shall inhabit this temple. Without flesh, without blood, with neither heart nor chest to hold it. And still, and at the same time, awake. Not sleeping, not dead, not anything. And our penance will not end until the stars themselves burn out… or until you release us." Rika genuflected, and her mother went to her knees, head lifted back. "Please… end this… " she begged. As Ami tried to turn away, she sank back into deeper slumber, soothed slightly by the shared warmth and softness of her sisters, and of Jack.

The tent's lights came on just before sunrise, waking the Jack and the Daughters. Including Ami, who found that in the course of the evening, she had somehow shifted to lay almost entirely atop Jack, their arms about each other. He smiled gently and carefully stroked her hair. "God morning," he said. "No need to file out for the sunrise. It is raining again, or perhaps still."

Ashi nodded to that. "We'll have a cold meal, then dress and strike camp. We need to make distance if we're going to stop the next shipment." And she dug into her saddlebags for a package of smoked sausages, and the rest pulled out bottles of water. Jack did much the same, and they quickly ate and dressed and took their bikes out. Aji collapsed the now empty yurt, and slipped it back into her bike's bag, not caring much about the rain. Under Ashi's guidance, they set off again, going as fast as they dared. The rain let up not too long after their departure, and they rode on and on. They stopped when they needed, for food, rest and exercise, and drove as far as they could into the night, camping this time under a tree with a large canopy. Again, the yurt served as both garage and bedroom for the group, though this time, the only one with troubled sleep was Avi; Aki and Ari soothed her by holding her closer, all without any of them ever waking.

The next morning dawned fair and fine, and the sisters hurried outside to watch the sunrise until it grew too bright to view. They ducked back in, and the eight had another cold breakfast, not willing to spend the time to cook something. Again, they struck camp quickly, and by noon were in sight of their destination. "Jack, you can't really help with this," Ashi said over the comms. "We've only got one lead at this point, so…"

He nodded. "I shall simply explore. Call if you need me." He removed his kabuto and menpo, and the girls their helmets. They unzipped their leathers, and Ashi, Aki and Ami shed them entirely, producing their clothing afterward. The seven departed at intervals, and followed different routes toward the general vicinity of the warehouse district and the cargo docks.

Ashi made her careful way to the harbourmaster's office, knocked, then stepped in. "Good afternoon, sir," she said politely. He returned her greeting. "I was wondering, could you tell me it the Watsuman is in dock yet?"

He smiled at that. "Let me guess: something special on board, or more likely someone?"

She nodded. "It's quite important to me."

He ran his fingers over the the flat object (she really needed to learn what those things were called), then nodded. "She's in dock a little later, early this evening. Pier 5, slip C. Mind yourself if you try to meet your fella at the dock, there's a lot of equipment coming and going."

She nodded to that, and thanked him. Stepping out of the office, she turned a corner and after checking for observers hurried up the side of the building. She donned her mask, and at the arranged time, "Ashi to Daughters, come in." The others responded quickly in their private language. "Good news: we're here ahead of the Watsuman." The others chorused their pleased reactions to that most welcome news, and Ashi settled in to wait while her sisters took their arranged positions, covering the likely routes away from the docks.

With the patience their elders had drilled into them so firmly, the girls waited for the transferred container to come by on its truck; Ashi dropped onto it, then Avi, then finally Ami. The others could only follow their sisters' locators on their bikes.

The warehouse, when they found it, was quite nondescript externally, as they had expected would be the case. The three hitchers sprang clear before the truck passed into the building, and scurried up the wall, shadows in shadow. They looked in through the clerestory windows, examining the layout: four rows of cages on the top floor one guard. On the first floor, four more rows, an area they presumed to be an office, more guards, and one other. A man, wearing loose clothing in a violently ugly shade of purple-grey, whose stance and motions were those of a well-trained fighter. They pulled their heads up quickly when he began to glance their way, and the three gathered on the roof to wait for their sisters.

It was only a short wait before the others came springing lightly over the roofs, and the planning began. In their private language, they went over layout and options, agreeing on who would enter and how, and what each sister would do. They quickly scattered over the warehouse, and at Ashi's word, the carnage began. Aji severed the electrical feed just below the meters, and the rest burst through the windows into the sudden darkness. No handicap to them, but the guards were momentarily helpless. Lightning strikes and beams of coherent light lashed out, stun beams and axes, throwing stars and arrows.

Before the man in the ugly suit could see, his reinforcements were down. But the girls weren't the only once with exotic training, and he closed with the nearest girl, almost as fast as the samurai. Caught slightly off guard, Avi had to respond with fists and feet instead of her kanabo, and despite her great strength, her petite frame worked against her, for the man's immensely strong blows were enough to force her off-balance repeatedly. As she fought the man, the others were busy with the cage doors and the office; Aki kicked open the flimsy door and hurled bolas at the manager, leaving him on the floor while she returned to the main space to aid her sisters. She ran at the big man's back, sliding at the last into a leg sweep over which he sprang easily.

Avi smiled slightly, and took the opportunity to finally produce her kanabo, swinging the massive club toward the big man's hip. She connected, but without the sickening crunch she'd expected, only a deep grunt of pain.

These frails weren't frail, Deathblow realized after the first two strikes at his masked assailant. Time to break out the big stuff, and while he jumped the leg sweep, he flicked his hands in a particular way that caused armoured sections to extend over his forearms and hands. Now they'd know where he got his name, he thought as he blocked the club, and punched for the masked girl's gut; she blocked, to his total non-surprise, but her nervous system lit up like a server cluster's status lights, and she screamed. A quick spin, and he caught a sword strike on his other gauntlet, a second scream splitting the air. Two down, five to… he didn't have time to finish the thought before a beam of coherent light exploded his shoulder. The last thing he knew was the sight of Avi's kanabo coming down on his head.

"Stay in the pens for now!" Ashi yelled to the merchandise. "We'll arrange for clothing and transport after we deal with the manager." Not knowing what else to do, the people who'd started to step out stepped back in, though mostly into each other's pens. The Daughters did nothing to stop that; they just wanted them to stay together and relatively safe. She walked into the small office.

"So," she said to the trussed up manager. "Your guards are dead or out of action. The only good fighter you had, the same. Now, I need some information," and she knelt astride him, settling herself into position over his thighs. "And if you don't supply it…" She placed the tip of her kunai between his legs.

He swallowed hard. Deathblow was supposed to be Aku's top assassin, and these… whatever they were had flattened him! "Wh-what do you want to know?" he whimpered.

"Are you the top of this?" she demanded, and he nodded sharply. "Good. I'm not going to unman you… yet. But I'll be checking back, and if I hear even a whisper of this starting up again…" A tiny bit of pressure on the kunai, just enough to part the fabric of his pants a little, conveyed the needed message.

"Nobody above me! I'll go straight, stick to modelling contracts and like that!"

Ashi simply vanished, a streak of darkness moving too fast for him to follow, and spoke again to her sisters in their private language. "Did you hear all that?"

Aji answered her. "Every word. I think he was telling the truth. Now, we need to find someone to take in the former inventory until they can find places to be." It took some questioning of the captives, but they did manage to find a few places able to take them in temporarily, and that would have to do. Now, time to talk to the Samurai.

Jack had spent a rather quiet few hours; he'd mediated a few disputes, slapped down an aspiring bounty hunter, and found a hotel with a suite large enough for the eight of them. Happily, his neatly trimmed beard, well-kept armour, and polite, soft-spoken manner were enough to overcome the natural suspicion that he was merely a thuggish brute. Once Ashi and the others finally located him, they proceeded to check in, pay in cash, and head up to their room, placing a large food order with room service. Over dinner, they filled him in on their activities. "I am most impressed! Aku's bounty hunters can be extremely…" "Deadly! Just like them! How can you honestly think they're harmless?" "They are not, and I never said they were! But I do not believe they are dangerous to me!" Ashi, Ami and Aki held him close the moment he tensed up, and though their grip was soft, it was also firm. "You see? They are not a danger to me! But to you, perhaps. You do not want friends, do you?" "Friends are a danger, a weakness, and we cannot afford weakness!" "These girls are no weakness, they are a strength! Mighty fighters, trained in stealth and now, infiltration." "They're also not friends! They don't even have what little honour remains to us!" "They have shown more honour in their conduct than anyone could reasonably expect from them!" Their murmured thanks were clear to him, and presumably to his other self. "I don't know why I bother!" he screamed as he stormed off.

When he relaxed, the girls settled back. "It's getting worse, isn't it?" Ami asked softly.

Jack sighed heavily. "I think so, yes. You girls have helped greatly, but this has been building for many years. A few months are not enough." They looked at him with great sadness, then all of them stood, and when he did, gathered close. Only five of them could actually hold him at once, but though Ari and Avi stayed in back, even they held him, indirectly. Jack accepted their attentions, and thanked them. Once they stepped back, "Now that you understand what lovers are, does it trouble you that people will almost certainly think we are such?"

They all looked a bit baffled, and Ami spoke first. "Why? You're the Samurai, one of the greatest and most famous heroes in the world. Any woman would be pleased and proud, from what the midwife told us at least." The others nodded.

Jack actually blushed at that. "I suppose it is an easy enough misconception to dispel, I need only say that you are my students. Of course, some will not believe that is all you are, but if that is not shameful…" A strange thought, that, that a woman could take a lover and not be shamed or disgraced.

"From what we were told, it is not," Ari said in her usual calm, measured way. "But this does lead into another question: who sleeps where? We can sleep anywhere; this cloth floor is luxury to us, even the bathroom floor is comfortable. But you know how we like to sleep, Jack. So…"

Jack considered the question carefully. "The beds are very large. We will sleep on them, four and four perhaps. Oh, and this sort of flooring is called 'carpet.'" The girls nodded, and after some discussion in that odd language they shared, Ashi, Ami and Aki joined Jack under the cover of his bed, and the rest cuddled together under the cover of theirs. The night passed quietly for the girls, but though he could not have said why, Jack was not so fortunate.


	40. Scotland the Loud

The morning dawned overcast, to the Daughters' disappointment, and they took their turns in the bathroom; Jack went last because he'd need the most time. The complimentary buffet breakfast went smoothly, and soon enough they were on the road once more, heading generally northwards. "Where are we going?" Ashi asked about an hour beyond the city limits.

"A place called 'the Highlands,'" Jack told them. "A friend of mine lives there, or at least used to. He might have passed by now, but we shall see." Shortly thereafter, a thin red line appeared in his sight. "What is that?" he asked, startled into nearly unbalancing his bike.

"I asked my navigation system to plot a course to the Highlands," Aji said, "then told it to share the route with the rest of us."

"But… how do you know of such things? You never learned this in the temple!"

"No," she agreed, "we didn't. But when we bought our bikes and helmets, we read the manuals, and books about them from the library. We knew before we began our mission that the greater world would be strange, and so we knew we'd have to be ready to learn new things in a great hurry. We know our devices, and what they can do, just as well as we know our guns."

Jack made a considering sound. "That is… very sensible," he admitted, and settled in to follow the route given. It was fairly scenic, he had to admit, and it would get them there faster than his usual half-guesswork methods, yet it seemed wrong somehow, to depend on machines for something so basic. Still, he kept his misgivings to himself. Once into true wilderness, Jack spoke to the Daughters over the headset. "It is always best to hunt and forage when you can, and conserve supplies for when you cannot. We will pull off the road here, make camp, and hunt a deer as we did before." The girls agreed, and after they set their tents and otherwise prepared their camp, the eight started out; Jack shed most of his armour, and the girls their leathers and their helmets, trading them for their masks and headpieces.

"We will all hunt," Ashi said. "The first one to bring down a buck will announce it, then we'll head back here." Jack nodded, and began his hunt as the girls began theirs. Ashi took the opportunity to truly experience the spring forest, in a way the urgency of their initial mission had not allowed them to truly appreciate the beauties of the autumn woods. So she walked slowly through the trees, steps soft and light, watching and listening, appreciating the many scents and sounds and sights. Oh, it was so amazing! Tiny leaves, the odd green stuff on some trunks, the range of barks, all so different from the temple or the city. The callings of birds heard faintly, the tracks she saw, some she could identify and others she could not. One set was very strange, and she followed out of curiosity. A four-footed thing, its feet very large and very round. Strides almost as long as her body. Hmm… that would mean a lot of meat, if she could find it and bring it down. Perhaps too much, if they couldn't carry it. Still she wanted to know what the animal was, so she kept following the trail.

Jack wasn't even trying to find a buck; he was quite sure the girls would manage that. Instead, he was looking for early grasses, mushrooms, and other ingredients for seasonings, flavourings and side dishes. Though he still regarded Japan as his true home, the wilderlands of this time were his second home, especially such forests as these. Perhaps this trip might finally grant him some… he looked up sharply at an unexpected scent. Smoke! He sniffed more carefully. Wood smoke! Oh, no… had a forest fire begun somehow? He listened carefully. Normal forest sounds, so not a forest fire. Perhaps someone lived out here? Probably, but there was no real way to trace the scent back. A worry for later, he decided, and returned to his foraging.

It was eventually Aki who first found tracks of the sort they sought. Footfalls soft as a shadow's sigh, the girl padded through the forest, bending low frequently to examine the trail, then scurrying forward in a nearly insectile manner, following as quietly as she could, staying upwind. She recalled Jack's instructions: it had to be a buck with no doe, and its shoulder at least waist high on her. So far, she seemed to be on the perfect trail: no other deer tracks, and the steps were long enough for an older animal. Care and caution in every step, she choose to the remain on the ground, lest the rustle of branches give her away. Slow, slow, ever so careful, the girl continued to follow the tracks. There, just as she'd hoped, a buck, and just the right height! From her shadows she produced two bolas, flung them at the animal, drew her katana while they were in flight, and as the animal fell over, entangled, she dashed forward, circling around to avoid its thrashing hooves. A blow across the neck, and the animal was dead. She called Jack and her sisters.

Ashi continued to follow the tracks, finally coming upon a clearing where she saw a thing she could never have imagined: A body as long as herself, with spindly, conical legs twice that, a body and head like a large, rounded-square cushion with blunt ends, and enormous blue eyes all along its midline. She scuttled up a tree, and from above, saw on top of it what looked like more cushions but without legs. As the creature began to nibble at the surrounding foliage, the cushions started to trill. They were its children, she realized, and smiled, watching quietly for an extended time. Then her sister's call came in, and she withdrew, careful not to startle the creature.

Back at camp, the eight gathered, and with Jack's guidance they cleaned, dressed and butchered the carcass, then while Avi and Ari removed the hide, bones and entrails from the vicinity, the others assembled a smoking rack and a fire. Adi's electrolaser started the fire with one shot, and as sunset was approaching, they moved their bikes into the tents, then the girls vanished their masks and headpieces, Jack removed his menpo and kabuto, and after some discussion agreed to share a huddle under their comforter. Once settled in, Ashi told them of the creature she'd seen, and Jack told her about it, saying it had been brought from another world long ago, that it was generally harmless, and if killed in early autumn, wonderfully tasty and a fine source of soft, warm furs. The rest of the year the creatures, which were both male and female in one, siring upon each other in mating exchanges, were pregnant, nursing, or toxic. The girls expressed no difficulty with that, not even Ami. Eventually, they drifted off.

Avi snapped into ready position, unarmed against Rika. But she was no little child to be terrified with a mere roar, or Rika's great size. She was a woman grown, a Daughter of Darkness, protector of the innocent. Had she not battled criminals and slain monsters? She could best Rika even without her kanabo! She allowed the huge woman to charge, then dropped and rolled to trip her. Rika leaped nimbly over the attempt, and Avi's attempted leg sweep earned her only a hard kick that winded her momentarily. In that moment, Rika grabbed her leg and swung her hard, repeatedly, into the wall, leaving her on the edge of consciousness while the brute peeled away her darksuit, and her skin with it. She woke with a thin, keening wail she couldn't entirely suppress, and found Jack stroking her hair gently, and one of her sisters holding her from behind. It was not long before she drifted down into deeper slumber once more.

The next day, the Daughters greeted the sunrise, and checked the state of the meat while the porridge cooked over their stove. Jack smiled as he watched them attend the needed work, then joined them for breakfast; the Daughters had chosen simply to pass the cookpot around, each taking a spoonful at her turn, and Jack followed their lead. He'd encountered similar customs before.

After breakfast, and morning cleanup, they all checked the fire to be certain it was out, then distributed the smoked meat among their vehicles and darksuits before going back on the road. The group was too large, and with Jack far too obviously dangerous, for bandits to even attempt, and so the trip to the Highlands was mostly quiet, barring the occasional particularly dim-witted bounty hunter at an eatery.

Meanwhile, thousands of kilometres away, a particularly luckless former robot bounty hunter was attempting to make his way to his boss. Man, this was hard on his neck.

Kilometres rolled by, and questions came with every one, it seemed, but Jack was quite willing to help broaden and deepen the girls' woefully limited education. He'd found their attempt at talking to a cow to be particularly amusing, though justifiable given the appearance of the farmer. Finally, they arrived at the needed shore, and gazed in amazement at the ferry through the rain-streaked glass of a nearby shopping concourse, a small indoor market in effect, where the girls were enjoying hamburgers and Jack, a bowl of clam chowder. The vessel was so huge, the girls couldn't really register it as a vessel, it seemed more like a building. They'd already bought their tickets, and were merely waiting for the signal to board. Once they finished their meal, the girls spread out to explore the concourse and its merchandise, first to the delight of the merchants, who loved curious customers, then to their frustration when it became clear that the odd young women were not interested in actually buying anything.

The announcement of motorcycle boardings came not too long afterward, and the eight were able to park at the bow, then filed up to the passenger deck. They all explored the deck, noting especially the location of the heads; the girls lingered over the arcades, but chose to wait; they gathered in the seats at the bow, the girls peering out through the rain-streaked glass. Whet the ship started to move, they clenched their seats' arms hard, then relaxed slowly. Once out of the protected harbour, the ferry began to rock. Not greatly, but enough for them to feel decidedly queasy.

"Jack," Aji asked, "is this normal?"

"For this ferry, yes," he told them. "This channel is known for its rough waters, but fortunately, the trip is short. Perhaps one day, I will teach you to sail, to find your 'sea legs' as it is said. You might well find such skills useful." The girls considered, and nodded in near unison. If it would help them past this queasy feeling, that alone would be a benefit. The trip proceeded relatively quietly, the girls not trusting themselves to either eat or attempt the games. Instead, Adi produced their Eedyk block, and they went to the bow, before the first row of seats, where they took their accustomed formation and entered into a mediative state with only slightly less ease than usual.

They allowed their sensations to rise, and be dismissed, one by one. The rain on the windows, the rocking of the boat, the texture and colour of the carpet and of the bulkheads, all came and went until the Eedyk was all. Then, slowly, the other sensations filtered back in, their awareness expanding. The chimes announcing the trip's end merely went through their awareness, noted but not relevant; the actual announcement drew their notice, and they rose, Adi vanishing their idol. They and Jack hurried to their vehicles, where the girls donned their leathers and helmets and Jack his headgear, then they drove off, following once more Aji's navigation path, with Jack in the lead and Ashi on rearguard.

London Spaceport. A teeming, seething hive of villainy and corruption, the air barely breathable much of the time; none of them wanted to stop until they were well away from the city's smog. Though the hour grew late, the group continued well into the night, glad their bikes produced exhaust only when being charged; it was past midnight by the time they were far enough from the city that they were willing to set camp. Jack led them to a decidedly ramshackle barn, inside of which they parked their bike. A quick sniff told him that the barn was abandoned, and he led the girls to the upper level; the wood was enough for them, and their comforter and some pillows were more than comfortable. Perhaps for once, their night would be untroubled.

For a wonder, the night was indeed untroubled, but the morning was not. "Who are ye an' what be ye a-doing' of in me barn!" demanded a very loud voice. Before Jack could tell the girls to leave the matter to him, Aki had leapt down to the ground.

"We were sleepin'!" she shot back in his own accent. "Where's yer hospitality that ye canna let some weary travellers borrah yer barn fer the night? 'Taint like we're disturbin' yer animals!"

He gaped at her, momentarily at a loss for words. "Nay…" he managed to say, weakly.

Aki sniffed. "If'n it's payment yer wantin' then here!" and she tossed a large silver coin to him. He caught it and gaped, so she tossed a second. "But tha's all ye're gettin'," she told him.

He looked between the coin and girl. "Och, nay, 'tis enow and mor'n'enow. An' ye're right, 'twere a bad host I was." He sounded positively embarrassed as he spoke. "C'n I off'r ye brekkie?"

She answered by calling up to the former hayloft. "Come down, sisters! Join us, Jack!" The other girls sprang down lightly; Jack climbed down more sedately. Aki turned back to the man. "Can ye off'r us all brekkie?"

He shook his head, "Nay, I canna."

Aki smiled, "Tha's fine, we got our own. Thank ye for the use o' yer barn, an' we'll be on our way." and with that, they donned their helmets and walked their bikes out of the barn, starting again once they were on a proper path.

A few minutes down the barn, Jack could no longer contain his curiosity. "How did you know to do that? And to sound like that?" he asked over their comlink.

"While we were working at the theatre," she told him, "we and other performers would sometimes read scenes from different plays. One of them was between characters who talked like that, and another involved an argument over hospitality and trespass. And I thought offering payment would help prove we were sincere about just being travellers seeking shelter. I know I paid more than I probably should have, but we have plenty."

"I see," Jack said. The girls were full of surprises, it seemed. The kilometres kept passing as they headed further north, until Jack's memories of the Highlands were more useful than the navigation system. The girls looked around them with gentle smiles at the beauty of the landscape, and the group slowed to better enjoy the scenery. Further and further north they went, and near sunset, Jack pointed to a particular large building. "That is my friend's castle. If he still lives." As they approached, sentries challenged them, and Jack announced them after their removed their headgear. Not long after…

"JACK!" boomed out a familiar voice. "YE'RE A SIGHT FOR SORE EYES! BEEN DOGS' YEARS SINCE YE COME THIS WAY!" The girls were treated to a remarkable sight, and took a step back both from the volume, and from old fears made flesh. The bald man didn't disturb them, but the giantess pushing him was another matter. The bald man looked the group over. "AN' YE'VE BEEN BUSY! WHO'S THE LUCKY LADY?"

"Greetings," Jack said. "These young ladies are not my daughters, but my students," and he introduced them. "Girls, this is my friend Fergus. I do not know the very large young woman with him."

She grinned wide, "I'm Flora. Pleased tae meetcha, Da's tol' us all about ye." Her voice, for her size, was surprisingly high and soft.

Aki spoke first, smiling slightly. "We're glad tae meet ya, Mr. Fergus, Miss Flora."

Flora gaped at the greeting. "Ye're nae from the Highlands!"

"Och, nae. But I've a flair fer accent. Hope ye don' mind," she said, still smiling.

Flora shook her head. "Na. But… will ye all be doin' tha'?"

"Nae, me sisters don' 'ave th' knack."

The Scotsman cut them off with a loud whistle, and soon a bevy of red-heads, nearly identical to Flora, came trooping in. All wore short skirts in the clan tartan, calf-high boots, and vests or corsets of leather, all in variety of styles. They'd thick red hair in as many different styles as their clothes, an array the Daughters could never have imagined, and the Scotsman started to introduce them; Jack lost track somewhere around "Alana," and the girls even sooner.

"If ye don' mind sayin'," Aki cut in, "How do ye hae sae many the same age?"

The Scotsman actually looked embarrassed at that. "WELL, ME AND ME WIFE, WE'D BEEN TRYIN' FER YEARS AN' NOTHIN'. SO I WENT TAE TH' CLAN DRUID FER A LITTLE… ASSISTANCE. HE GAVE ME A SALVE AND POTION, SAID TAE USE 'EM THE NEXT TIME, AN' I DID. THING WAS, ME WIFE GOT A FRIEND O' HERS TAE HELP HER OUT THE SAME WAY, AN', WELL, TWO AN' TWO MADE WAY MORE'N FOUR!"

"Oh… that must have most difficult for her. Is she…"

"Our Ma's fine," Flora said. "Here she comes now!" And in a great voice, though not nearly so great as he remembered, the woman in question came into the courtyard and announced herself.

"OI! Fergus! Wha's wrong now, ye get a splinter maybe, or are we facin' down a wild haggis stampede?" She was still tall, even taller than her daughters, still bullet-headed, still red-haired, but her accustomed scowl was gone, replaced with a weary smile, and she seemed to have lost a good half or more of her former weight. Finally, she made her way to the front of the crowd. "Jack?" she asked. "Is tha'… ye?"

He bowed and straightened. "Yes, madam. It is me. And these girls…"

She grinned, showing snaggle teeth. "Are cute li'l things in need of a guid feedin'. So where's the lucky lady?" She looked around, then grew sad. "Oh, I'm so sorry. Fer all o' ye."

Aki spoke up first. "Don' be. Ahr mother's verra much alive, but we're Jack's students, no' his daughters." And she had to again explain why and how she sounded local.

The big woman grinned. "Well, it's near time for supper anahway, so come tae the Great Hall once ye're cleaned up. Me girls'll show ye the way."

Fortunately, Jack remembered the castle's layout well enough to find a bathing room, and he cleaned himself quickly, emerging with his armour slung over his shoulders; by the time he had returned it to his bike, supper was in full swing.

The girls had shed and stowed their helmets and their leathers, and washed their faces, then they proceeded into the Great Hall. The torchlight on stone stirred their memories, but the cheerful din largely offset that. They found themselves amidst nearly a dozen of the the Scotsman's seemingly innumerable brood, and looking at two odd spheres that they presumed to be some sort of food. "What are those?" Aji asked, only a moment before Ashi asked the same question. They looked at each other across the table, then both laughed.

Maeve took the question. "Haggis. Ye take the heart, lungs and liver of a sheep, ground up fine, mix 'em with barley, sage, onions, an' mebbe some other stuff, 'pends what ye got. They ye clean an' rinse the stomach, pack it all inside, tie it off, an' boil the lot. We've got lots of good oat-bread too, an' butter an' honey."

The girls smiled. "We look forward to trying it," Ashi said, and the girls let the Scottish girls cut them thick slices of sausage and warm bread, which they spread generously with both butter and creamy honey. When the meal actually began, a prayer being said between the readying of the plates and the beginning of eating, the Daughters followed the local girls' lead, and ate in large bites and drank in long swallows (of juice; they had explained earlier their unfamiliarity and discomfort with liquor), with evident enjoyment, very unlike their accustomed manner. But when in the Highlands, do as the Highlanders; they had learned that from their time in the city, and earlier from their trainers. They ate less than the local girls, but their eating less was taken as normal, what with their being so much smaller.

At the head table, Jack ate with his usual extreme restraint and delicacy, causing the others to wonder if perhaps he thought there was something wrong with the food, and forcing Fergus to remind them several times that Jack was a stranger, and from a strange land with strange ways.

After dinner, there were stories and tales, though Jack declined; the Daughters accepted, and put on a short temple play to laughter and applause, and once they seated themselves, congratulations from the Scotsman's girls on their ability to keep a straight face, for which they thanked them. The night wore on, with songs and boasts and contests, in some of the which the Daughters joined; the boasts, they soon realized, were more in the nature of clearly impossible stories capped by slight retractions, as when one warrior told of his great fight against a bear that stood eighty feet tall at the shoulder, only to be forced to admit that the actual bear had only been sixty feet tall. Neither Jack nor the girls chose to partake in those contests, and in due course, they sought their rooms, one for Jack and one for the Daughters, the latter with a huge bed their hosts assumed they would share.

In his own, much smaller room, Jack undressed for bed, and drifted into deep slumber, then about halfway to morning rose into the realm of dreams. He was there, not snarling or snapping, but sitting on a stool in a midst of a clearing on a bamboo forest, a bright red laughing devil. "I was wrong, you should stay with the girls! You're the perfect put-upon straight man for them!" "Straight man? You think me comical?" "Yeah, I do," he said, nearly falling off his stool. "The seasoned traveler, decades of experience, gone all over the world, and here you are, with one of your oldest friends, and a group of girls literally raised in a cave can fit in better than you!" Jack sighed. "I simply do not have it in me to be so… boisterous. And I am surprised that they do." He snorted. "Maybe you ought to work on that. Teaching is a two-way street, y'know." "There is some truth to that," Jack conceded. "I will consider the matter." "Good! If you're not enjoying your life, what's the point of keeping it?" And with a final laugh, the dream dissolved once more. On the walls, a sentry saw a faintly visible green glow for a moment.


	41. All Peoples Great and Small

In the morning, one of the Scotsman's many daughters came in to wake the girls, only to find them at the window, watching the sunrise. "Since ye're up and aboot, care to come ta the practice grounds? Couple dozen of us're doin' a light workout."

The Daughters turned to face her. "Only unarmed. We don't want to hurt you too much." That got a laugh, and got them guided to a large field outside the castle. As they stepped on, a wave of silence swept the field, the fistfights and wrestling matches ceased, and the brawny girls just gaped at the masked, horned apparitions.

"We are the Daughters of Darkness," they said as one. "Students of the Samurai. We are seven, we are one, and we are here to contest with you." They could practically see the thoughts chase each across the Highland girls' faces. These girls can't possibly mean that, they're just trying to wrong-foot us, they're not so tough, they can't be. But they're travelling with Jack and he's sure no pushover. But they're hopelessly outnumbered, we'll win this. Then one of them, armed with a staff, charged them, and brawl was on, the loud lovelies and the slender shadows. The Daughter sprang and leaped, exploiting their full speed and agility, nearly impossible to hit. But the Scots girls fought with pure aggression and brute force, and they had plenty of force; a single hit wouldn't disable a Daughter, but it would certainly hurt one, and with better teamwork, a slightly over four to one numeric advantage and neither side wanting to kill or maim, the odds were in favour of the locals. In due course, the Daughters conceded the match to their hosts, and the two groups went to clean up before breakfast.

At the meal, the Daughters took (by local standards) small portions of oatmeal, and of bacon and scrambled eggs and toast and butter and honey. "Ye sure that's enough?" asked their hostess, and Aki assured her it was. She looked dubious, but moved on to the high table, where Jack was attempting to eat his breakfast in something closer to the local manner, with little success. The boisterous energy of the Highlanders was just not his way, it lacked harmony and dignity, and though the girls might have been able to set aside such concerns, he was not. So he ate in small, neat bites a relatively small portion, then went out to the practice field with the men. He declined the traditional test of manhood after seeing the first throw, and said that he would instead throw… that man who'd thrown the first rock. Fergus barely kept a straight face as Jack approached the thrower, and ceased to even try once Jack twisted, pulled, and tossed the man most of the way down the field. The result was inevitable: Jack found himself being hauled up shoulder-high and paraded about to shouts of his name, which he tried to accept with good humour.

Once set down, he chose to honour the request of several of the fighters to learn the trick. After explaining that it was a relatively advanced technique, and so would require a moderately long period of instruction, a few of his would-be students withdrew, but the others accepted, and so he began his first extended period as a teacher in almost fifty years, since the jump apes had taught him to "jump good," and he had taught them to protect themselves.

"This is a different style of fighting than you are accustomed to," he explained at the start of the first lesson. "Normally, you use your immense strength to overwhelm your opponent. It is a valid technique, and well-suited to your natures. But there is another method of fighting, one you may well already know in part. You two," and pointed to two of his students, "come up here." They did so, and at his instruction began to wrestle. "Now, tell me: what happens if one of the fighters stops pushing at his opponent, and simply turns aside?"

Angus grinned as he kept pushing. "The one who stops get knocked down, a'course!"

"That is true," Jack immediately agreed. "But if he both stops and turns, without releasing his grip, what happens?"

"Well, they'd both fall," said Robert, "but the guy… oh, I think I get ye. The guy who turns will land on top."

Jack smiled. "These techniques are extensions of that concept: you use a little of your own strength to control and direct your opponent's." And the lessons went from there. Allowing them to regard the art as a different sort of wrestling, which was reasonably correct, would let them learn "weakling" techniques without compromising their pride.

As that went on, the Daughters continued to train against the Scottish girls, their teamwork gradually improving as they picked up new techniques and skills, including the ancient art of walloping the other girls with hooked sticks, AKA grass hockey, and the basics of the utterly alien art of riding animals.

Some days came and went, and after breakfast, there came a weird, undulating sound, and the clan filed toward it. Ashi took hold of Maeve's wrist. "What's happening?"

Maeve paused, and looked down to her. "Ye've seen our little rituals, aye?"

Ashi nodded. "The small prayers. Oh, and this is the call to worship. Are the ceremonies private? We grew up in a temple, but it was nothing like anything we've seen here." Indeed, anyone not in their cult who attempted to watch the services would probably have become an offering.

Maeve frowned in thought. "I don' know. Ye'd have tae ask the Druid. If he'll say anythin' ye c'n understand." At Ashi's puzzled look, she continued. "He speaks our most ancient tongue, but if ye don' know it, it just sounds like," and she made sounds like a chicken with a stuffed-up nose, only deeper and more guttural. "Or he talks in riddles. Never known th' man t'give a straight answer t' anythin'."

Ashi and the others smiled a bit at the imitation. "We'll talk to him. If you'll show us the way?" And Maeve shrugged, taking them to a large stone circle around a large stone table, at one end of which there stood a tall, skeletal red-robed figure wearing a strange mask like an elongated skull with antlers, and carrying a staff topped with a similar skull. The rest of the clan had mostly gathered, but Maeve elbowed then aside as needed to clear path for their guests.

"Aelbert!" she called out, "our guests want tae know, can they watch th' service?" Aelbert squawked at her, and Maeve groaned. "He says 'Shadows are wha' happens when ye block th' light.' Told ye he never gives straight answers."

Ashi growled, and her sisters looked variously baffled and angry, except Adi, who seemed on the verge of tears. The seven slipped back out through the crowd, going into the forest where they sought a clearing. In that place, Adi set the Eedyk block on a rock, and they gathered before it, sun mostly at their backs, in their accustomed formation. As they had done so many times before, they entered into a mediative state, focussed upon the idol. There were no prostrations, no droning chant, only a single, clear, sustained note, the girls inhaling at different times to keep the sound constant, and they remained so until the sun had passed from behind their right shoulders to behind their left.

"Hello," Aki said as she stood. "You've been there for the last five fingers," and she turned to the big girls. "Thank you for being quiet."

The Scotswomen didn't look at all embarrassed or surprised. "So… wha's th' block, and th' singin'?" And the Daughters of Darkness told them of the idol's meaning, and with difficulty, explained the concept of mediation. Then the two sets returned to the practice fields for an afternoon of good, clean violence, or combat training.

Over the last few days, the Daughters had learned a bit more of teamwork; the Scots' greater numbers and superior teamwork still won them the victory every time, but the margin was shrinking, and though they'd never had admitted it to the clan warriors, Fergus' daughters were starting to seriously wonder if they'd be able to beat the girls in an all-out.

That night, Maeve crept into the Daughters' room, wrapped in a cloak but otherwise bare; once inside, she shed the cloak, and set her candle on a shelf. As she'd expected, the girls were awake, watching her with puzzlement and a bit of suspicions. "Got room for one more?" she asked, and when Ashi nodded, she slid into the bed, careful not to let any more heat out than she could help. A carefully aimed puff of air put out the candle. "Thank ye," she then said. "I been wonderin', if ye're willin' tae say, where's it ye're from, an' what's that stuff ye got on ye?"

The Daughters addressed each other in their private language, then Aki spoke. "We were born in a great temple, to its High Priestess, a temple carved from a great series of natural caverns. The order is small, a few dozen members, and very isolated, and focussed almost entirely on their god, and on mastery of the martial arts."

"Sounds pretty dreary," Maeve said, and put her arm around the shoulder of the nearest Daughter.

"It was," Aki agreed with a sigh. "We don't have much memory of our first two or three years, the first clear memory we all have is…" She paused, and took several deep breaths. "In of of the sacred chambers, there is a pit, and in that pit, a hot, liquid darkness. Our mother had us gather around it, and one by one, she pushed us into that darkness. It's a magical darkness, almost a living thing, and it bonded to us. It's like an extra skin, and through it, we have a tiny fraction of the power of Darkness that fills the temple's god with immeasurable might."

Maeve shuddered a little. "An' did ye play with the other children?"

Aki shook her head, though it could not be seen in the lightless chamber. "We were the only children in the temple; the cult's first and highest priority was training us. Fighting, stealth, athletics, the praising of our god, that was all our learning. We never played, not that we can remember. We can't even remember a time our mother, or the sisters, held us."

Maeve shuddered at the thought. "If ye want, while ye're here, ye can all sleep with us. Fer tonight, want me tae stay?"

Ashi said simply, "Yes." Then she added a moment later, "And since you're not wearing anything and our darksuits help us stay warm, why don't you move a few places in?" Maeve accepted, and slid inward until she was between Aki and Ami, who simply held her close.

Avi thought about Maeve's presence, and why she might here. She and her sisters were inquisitive and curious, like Ashi had always been and the rest of them were becoming. She'd almost certainly tell her sisters all she heard. But physically, she wasn't a threat. Not by herself, not against all of them, and in all honesty, the clan's generous hospitality, as with their bed, firm yet comfortable, with sheets and thick blanket and heavy comforter, and pillows softer than any they had known yet still firm enough for comfort, merited some repayment. And if simple questions were all they had, well, it was a light enough price.

Puir wee lassies, Maeve thought as the two sisters put their heads on her shoulders and their arms over her chest, just below her breasts. No friends but each other, no hugs, no kisses… it made her want to cry. Fighting and training and praying, it was a wonder they weren't totally mental. As the space around her warmed, she resolved that she and her sisters and the rest of the clan would have to be extra-friendly with them, and show them what family ought to mean.


	42. Innocence Lost

Nearly a week had passed before Jack had a good opportunity to speak with his friend in relative privacy. "I must ask, what do you have in mind? I see signs of preparations for some great battle, but against what? Or whom?"

The Scotsman grinned. "WHO ELSE? AKU HISSELF, TH' GREAT COWERIN' TREE-OGRE! 'ASN'T STIRRED FR'M 'IS CASTLE IN YEARS, TH' TIME F'R HIS FINAL FALL'S NEAR!"

Jack sighed, and shook his head. "Old friend, do you have any weapons that can even hurt him?"

"NAE, BUT WHA' OF IT? YE GOT YER SWORD AN' WE CAN GET YE TAE THE… wait. Ye dinna hae the sword, do yeh?"

Jack shook his head. "I have been searching for many years. But if you can support it, perhaps there is something good you can do with this army." And the two men talked long into the night.

The next night, the Daughters found themselves, after a dinner of roast boar and roasted potatoes and carrots with gravy, in one of the larger bedrooms the Scots girls shared. "Maeve tells us ye've ne'er had a real family. Well, now's yer chance. We'll show ye what real families're like," Murdina said, in a tone that brooked no contradiction. "First thing: real families might fight an' yell a lot… but they allus make up in th'end. Sometimes with th' rest's encouragement." The Daughters looked to each other and shivered with recollection.

"Dissension is a weapon to the enemy," their mother said after picking up the five year old Ami and Avi by the backs of their necks. "And since the rest of you did nothing to help," she flung the girls toward her enforcer. "Teach them a lesson!" The brute roared, and the lesson began.

The big girls took them in their arms, gently and carefully. "I'm sorrah. Bad memories?" one of them said.

Ashi hung her head; they all did. "We have a lot of them," she admitted.

"We'll nae press," Maeve said. "Yer… darksuits ye call 'em?" The Daughters nodded. "They don' come off, do they?" Ashi shook her head. "Right." She looked around to the others. "Ye're all clear on tha', right?" And the others nodded at her "this is not a question" tone. With no concern for modesty, the girls started to undress; a Scotswoman with a single braid took a moment to close a shutter, very hard. A pitch-shifting yelp followed. "Boy's such an idiot," she grumbled.

"We'll deal with the candles," Avi said. "We were trained to work in total darkness if we have to." The other girls looked to each other, then got into the large beds as the Daughters went around the room, blew out the candles, then climbed in with the big girls. Each Daughter soon found herself laying atop one of the local girls, against whom they were little more than large dolls. Each was gently kissed on the cheek, and shortly after, gossip and small talk began, in which the Daughters took no part, though they listened intently.

Ami tensed up sharply when she was pulled atop one of the girls, but when nothing came of it but warmth and the gentle weight of the giantess' arms, slowly relaxed, enjoying the novelty of being so held by a woman not her sister. As with the night in the cave Jack had carved, it was something she'd not even known she'd wanted, much less how badly.

For the next few days, Jack and his friend planned, and the Daughters learned of family as it ought to be (or at least the Highlands version), and the time finally came when the group chose to move on, to continue Jack's search for the sword. At the docks, the Scotsman presented them with a sailing vessel, little more than a barge with masts, cabin and rudder, but big enough to accommodate their bikes and stable enough to handle the seas they'd need to cross. After their goodbyes (a lengthy process given the many, many Scottish girls to be said goodbye to), Jack instructed the girls to haul on particular ropes to raise the mainsails, and on others to raise the jibs, and then in the tying off of the relevant shrouds. As they sailed west, then southward along the coast, Jack directed them in the tasks and terminology of basic seamanship. The tasks were fairly simple, the instructions easy to follow, and the Daughters quickly learned the basics of sail handling.

Two days out, Ari emptied her stomach again, and with haunted eyes turned to Jack. "Is the sea always like this?" To the cave-raised girls, the sea and sky were still disorienting, and standing on something that pitched and yawed was completely alien, and the adjustment was proving difficult.

He smiled gently to her. "No, this is a quite gentle sea, at least for this area. Do not concern yourself; in a few days more, you will have your sea legs, which means you will be able to keep your meals inside."

Ari whimpered. More days of hunger and thirst? She felt herself close to dead already! New forms of suffering were the last things any of them needed to learn. They'd gained some skill in fishing, but it was cold comfort when they couldn't effectively eat their catch. At least Jack had the manners not to eat in front of them.

Two more days along, the girls were weak and dizzy from thirst, and Jack directed them in the tasks needed to beach the craft on a broad, deep, sandy beach. He gathered driftwood, and started a fire, then set a kettle to boiling. "This tea will help settle your stomach," he told them, "and then you will be able to eat properly."

They looked at him with ruthlessly suppressed hope, none daring to talk and irritate their dry, dry throats, and watched the kettle until it boiled. Jack removed the kettle from the fire, then once the tea had cooled, filled the girls' cups. They sipped it, unable to take more than sips, until at last their throats took up enough moisture for speech. "Thank you, Jack," Ashi said. "These past few days, we've learned forms of suffering we never imagined. Going without food and water for the Long Night, knowing it was only a day and night, was one thing. But that, day after day, not knowing if we'd ever be able to drink or eat again, not even sure of up and down, that was horrible. Is it normally that bad?"

He shook his head. "Most find their sea legs within a day or two. It can take longer, and I suppose I should have realized that you would have more difficulty, given your upbringing. But you will adapt, and I will make a point of charting courses to keep us near landing zones in case they are needed."

"Thank you," she said for them all. At his instruction, they ate and drank small portions, finding themselves full sooner than they expected. They stayed on the shore for a full day, letting their stomachs settle and rebuilding their strength, and chatting with the local fisher-folk. Soon enough, they were back on their ship, and sailing southward once more. Every two days, they had to pull in, then every three, and by the time they were through the great straits that led to the inner sea across which was their destination, the girls were finally acclimated to the ocean, and back to their newly-learned cheer. From there, the voyage was swift, a few quick, easy days along the centre of the sea, then into a well-travelled port where they rented a berth for their vessel, the girls paying well in advance and careful to get a receipt. Then it was off across the plains. Or the former plains, rather. A once-verdant forest, now nothing but charred stumps. A crater of glass. A former town, reduced to rubble and skeletons. Scene after scene, site after site. As they stopped for the night at the outskirts of a ruined town, strewn with bodies, the girls looked around themselves.

"Jack," Ashi said in a small voice, "how can we stop this?"

He sighed heavily. "We cannot. Without my sword, there is no way to slay Aku, and so long as he lives, this will not end."

"No!" Ami said. "We will find your sword! We will kill Aku! We will end this!"

He smiled slightly. "You are right to believe. But we still need my sword." He looked about himself. "How did you dispose of the dead in your temple?"

Adi produced their Aku idol, and set it down. "You see this bowl filled with wax? The real idol is as tall as fifteen sisters, and this bowl has a fire burning in it at all times. The dead are placed in the fire, and we were taught that the smoke of the burning conveys their spirit to Aku." She vanished the idol quickly, and even as Jack began to speak, a faint cry for helped reached their ears.

Avi and Jack reached the site almost simultaneously, and with their combined might lifted the slab that kept the crier pinned. "Samurai Jack," he groaned, his voice weak. "You've come back… at last…" he panted. "They came… took the children," he gasped. "All of them."

"Where?" the man and girl said nearly in chorus.

"The factory," the man said, and finally succumbed to weakness and injury.

Jack checked him over. "He will recover. Quickly, we will take him inside, put him to bed. Then…"

"Then we go to the factory," Ami said. Jack nodded, and the moment the girls shed their leathers and helmets and donned their headpieces and masks, the eight drove down the road.

They dismounted at the gate, and began to slowly and carefully stalk through the factory grounds, tension building within them. As they passed a broad, low door, it began to slide up, and behind it, blue-furred people like the ones in the town, but small. Over their communicators, "Do you hear that?" Aji asked, and her sisters confirmed.

Jack did not, but yelled, "RUN!" and they ran, just in time to be ahead of the horde of children, now slavering berserkers. "Find that sound!" he said over the communicators.

"Ari, Aki, Ami," Ashi snapped, "help Jack fight them! Remember, they're only children. The rest, with me. We'll stop that sound!"

Ashi and the rest sprang to the side of a tall, broad cylinder, scaling it with impossible ease and speed, while their sisters and Jack continued on foot, drawing the horde with them. Great leaps took the diversionary force onto large pipes, and Jack screamed in denial when Ami drew her gun. She ignored him, slid a knob along the side, and began firing. One by one, children fell. "Jack, switch your stun gun to half strength. It will knock them cold without hurting them!"

He drew the stun pistol he'd all but forgotten, and examined it. He found the slider and drew it down half-way, then reluctantly began to fire. The horde seemed endless, but at least this seemed to slow the ones who did not fall. Aki's bolas flew as well, immobilizing others, then it was time for another run, and a spring toward a high platform. But Jack misjudged the weight of his armour, and the horde grabbed him, pulled him down, tearing at his armour. The Daughters dropped to the edges of the horde and began fighting their way to him.

Though they sought his death, Jack held far, far back, not willing to hurt an innocent, a mere helpless pawn in Aku's dark games. The Daughters were less idealistic: gut-strikes, palms to chins, blows to key nerve clusters, nothing to cause permanent injury, but if it would heal, that was sufficiently temporary. Yet battles are chaotic things, and the girls and the samurai were swept apart in the ebb and flow of the nightmarish fight.

Above, Ashi and her squad leapt and ran and scuttled up walls toward the sound's source, blank-masked shadows against the blood-coloured sky of earliest twilight. Then they heard heavy servos whirring into life, and sprang away from the heavy pincers that struck at them. Still focussed on their mission, the girls leapt, sprang, rolled, slid, and dodged past them as best they could; not without gain had been their torturous training. Their guns were useless against such things, and most of their weapons, but Avi took a moment to produce her kanabo, striking with all her might at the joints, not to break them, but to dent them, render them useless. Time and again, she dented and damaged hinges while her sisters advanced, but the pincers were simply too fast and too many, and four of the arms found Ashi, carrying her off. Behind her mask, Aji smiled, and followed their leader at a distance while the arms hauled her away.

Soon she was out of sight, but they could still follow her by the sound of the servos and her locator signal. And they heard her orders over their comms. "Follow my signal, but do not attempt extraction. Not until we know what's happening and how to stop it." They chorussed their understanding, and trailed her at a discreet distance.

The arms carried Ashi into a control room, or such she guessed it to be. A large armoured figure strode in, and over to her. He removed her mask, tossed it aside. "Well, what do we we have here? A little samurai sympathizer. Pretty one, too," he said as he squeezed at her cheeks, forcing her mouth into an obscene parody of a kiss. He chortled, his voice lecherous and hitching at once, as he withdrew his gauntleted hand. Electrical arcs crackled around his hands, and Ashi screamed.

Below, Jack continued to lay about himself, knock the berserker children away, fling them aside, but ultimately accomplish nothing. He simply could not bring himself to harm them, even slightly. The girls, swept apart from him and each other, were making progress with their own hordes, laying them out with pragmatic ruthlessness. Even so, they did no more harm than needed: many children would need pressure tape and bandaging, and a few casts and splints, but none would need funeral pyres.

Ashi stopped screaming as the man withdrew. "Sorry, Princess. Ran out'a juice. Don't worry, though. A quick recharge and it's back to the fun." He pulled a cord from his armour, and plugged in, humming tunelessly while his gauntlets replenished themselves. As he walked back, he glanced at a monitor showing Jack's struggles. "Heh. Would you look at that? Righteous fool, after everything he still can't hurt an innocent. Turning those little brats into weapons, pretty ingenious, right? Children are foolish little things," he sneered as he gripped her jaw, forcing her chin up. "Surgically implant a chip in their neck and the right audio frequency does the rest. Well," he said as his gauntlets lit again, "back to the fun."

The very instant he said that, the other girls burst in: a bolt of lightning fried the man's armour's systems, heavy blows bent pincers enough for Ashi to wiggle free, and a quick twist and lift relieved him of his helmet. Ashi reclaimed her mask, and straddled the man's legs, working patiently at the codpiece.

"Hey, stop that, that's not yours! Leave my armour alone," the moustachioed man demanded.

Ashi ignored him, and finally found the catches to remove the groin protector. "I'm giving you a choice. Tell us how to shut down that sound, or I squeeze. Very hard."

"No way! I'm not telling you…"

Ashi squeezed, lightly. "Want more pressure?" He didn't. He told them what they needed to know, and Aji carried out the instructions before she shot him in the head. Ashi rose, "Let's get back to…" and glanced at the monitor that had been showing, "Jack!"


	43. A Journey Begins

Some time before…

Far away, two women in black sat upon a black stone floor. "Ayano," the taller said, "I have puzzled over a question. I have prayed and given offerings, fasted and meditated, consulted the Book of Aku, and I can find no answer. A spiritual journey has become necessary."

Ayano bowed to her superior. "Is this truly necessary, High Priestess? Surely you are not displeased that she lives."

"Of course not! How could I possibly be upset by His daughters being alive and well? But I cannot understand why the Samurai would ever spare an opponent, and I will not find that answer here. I will take my bow and knife, of course, and some coin, and until my return, you will lead the temple."

A second bow. "Yes, High Priestess. His blessing upon you in your journey."

"And upon the temple and all who dwell herein." The High Priestess rose, and returned to the Hall of Worship to offer one more prayer before her departure.

As night grew, she first prostrated herself before her idol and the setting sun, then scaled a tree for sleep; this part of the forest was home nothing more dangerous than a semi-wild pig. The next several days were uneventful, and when she came to it, the priestess chose to simply follow the road toward the city she thought her girls had most likely gone to.

Much of the way there, a van pulled over as she walked along the broad road, and a young man leaned out, older than her daughters but not greatly so. "Like a ride?" he said. There was something about him she did not like, something beyond his grubby clothes and unshaven chin, but she slowed anyway, and considered his offer from behind her mask. There was a driver, and another man, and two women about her daughters' age wearing remarkably little, all with an unwholesome air about them. Still, she was not unequipped for violence, and merely unpleasant company, she could endure. "Very well," she said, and entered the vehicle. An unpleasantly sweet smell assaulted her nostrils, and she sat as lightly as she could upon the dilapidated bench seat. The interior of the van was in revolting shades of green; were these people perhaps colour-blind? She would be delighted to depart the moment they stopped again.

One of the girls lit a small twist of paper, and sucked on it before exhaling a faintly blue cloud of that too-sweet stench. "You like some?" she asked, offering it to the priestess.

She shook her head. "I remove my mask only to eat and wash," she said. Like her daughters, she had no need to bathe. That prompted a wordless but subtly disturbing exhalation from the others, and speculative looks from the girl beside her. They made idle conversation, in which she took no part, and passed the strange-smelling twist of paper between them as they drove.

They were driving through largely empty country, plains on one side and cliffs on the other, with the sun going down, when the young man who'd addressed her first leaned and turned. "We gonna pull over here; how you gonna pay your way? Nobody rides free."

The contempt was clear in her voice. "Given the quality of the vehicle and company, you're not worth much," and she named a sum she felt was enough not to be insulting, just barely.

He brayed a laugh. "Not that kinda pay, lady."

Ah… as she'd suspected. "I will pay you in your continued good health," she said, sneering audibly.

As they'd been talking, the driver had pulled over, and once they stopped, the girl beside her lunged. She was fast, but the High Priestess was far faster, pulling her knife and cutting a bloody furrow down the girl's sternum, cutting her minimal top in two. A quick grab at the handle had the door open and her out of the van, her knife vanished and bow ready. "The first one out of the van dies," she said. "If anyone even tries to touch me, or hurt me, you all die." The man in the second seat pulled a gun, and died. The driver peeled off in a panic, and the van hit the divider as a hail of arrows went through the vehicle and him. The priestess vanished her bow, recovered and vanished her arrows, and resumed walking, completely indifferent to the five cooling corpses.

That night, she took shelter in an odd cave, one that seemed made somehow. A small grass-log fire provide ample warmth, and as she did each night and morning, she made her prostrations to Aku. As she went along, she foraged a bit, hunted a bit, took shelter in a rest stop. She gazed out over the city, and the ocean beyond, recalling the tale of the Manaquans, of the tributes they had pledged Aku in return for His generosity in allowing them to shelter within the seas after their own had dried up, and of His just and righteous punishment for their failure to render up the promised tribute. She slept well that night, and came the morning, chose the least unhealthful of the vending machine fare for her breakfast. By nightfall, she was in the city, where she parted with a few small coins for a meal, and slightly larger for a cheap room. The next morning, after her devotions, she attended to breakfast from a street vendor, and asked a store clerk where to find the theatre district.

She drew a great deal of attention, she noticed, though most of it was only cursory, as she went through the streets; at the first theatre, she chose to speak with the ticket taker, a woman with four eyes, two over two, and curious blue skin. "I seek my daughters; they have been gone long and I fear for them. They dress much as I do, and wear masks like mine."

The ticket-taker frowned, then smiled. "I know them! The Daughters of Darkness, I saw their act, they're brilliant. Yeah, they were working a few doors down at the Paradise. Hope they're OK."

She thanked the ticket-taker, and went on to the Paradise. She bought a ticket, then asked, politely, to speak to the manager. In due course, the manager came out, a woman somewhat taller than her daughters and in exceptionally fine physical condition… except for her eyes, apparently. Perhaps she had poor colour vision? It would explain the eye-hurting colour scheme of her body-hugging outfit. "Good morning," she said, and the manager returned the greeting.

"Let me guess," the woman said, her voice husky and rich. "The Daughters of Darkness are your kids, and you want to know they're all right. Well, last I saw, they were. And more than all right, we've got a whole play about them, they saved this whole town, maybe even the whole coast, from a sea monster that would have killed the entire coastal ecosystem and our economy with it!"

Though her mask didn't shift, her amazement was clear in her voice. "Truly?"

The manager nodded solemnly. "Then they made Boss Chang, the toughest, meanest crime boss in town, back down when he tried to claim it. Made him pay them a fair price, and then they just went back to work the next day. They gave most of the price to the fishermen who brought the corpse to shore." She shook her head. "You've got some amazing kids, lady. Hope you're proud of them."

Aki's words, _We have slain monsters, battled criminals, and earned fortunes_ , ran through her mind. "I am," she answered softly. "More proud than you will ever know." Just as the manager started to speak, probably to return to her work, she continued. "Would you know where they are now?"

She shook her head, "I don't know, but if you want to, I'm sure you can find them. Beautiful septuplets in black latex? Those girls are attention magnets."

After departing, she wondered about where to go to find where her daughters had gone. They'd told her a few things, that they'd bought modern weapons, survival gear and vehicles, so that was a start. So where to start would be with the sellers of such things, probably the vehicles. Turning into a store more or less at random, she simply asked how to find vehicle sellers. She got a rather odd look, for reasons she didn't understand, but also got directions.

A long walk later, she sought out a quiet place to gather her thoughts, stepping into a small shop that apparently sold ready-made foods. Purchasing a cup of tea and a sausage roll, she sat down in a corner, with a solid wall on two sides and clear sightlines of the rest of the establishment. Though not entirely unfamiliar with the greater world, the city was a place vaster and more complex and confusing than she had remembered. And yet her daughters had adapted to it quickly and well, despite their limited upbringing. Absolutely amazing. She took her time, and let her headache ease, then departed quietly.

At last she came to the auto mall, and began her search in earnest. Finally, she found the motorcycle dealer who had sold his wares to her girls. "Was anyone else with them?" she asked after getting the most needed information.

He shook his head. "Nope, just them. Great kids, asked a lot of really smart questions, got the enhancements to their helmets they wanted, but turned down the ones they figured they didn't need. Good bikes, too: small, fast, all-terrain. Leathers, helmets, all that. No idea where they're going, but they'll get there in style."

She thanked him, then departed. She'd need a map, but where to find one… wait. She walked into another vehicle seller's and asked for a map. A small coin was all it cost, and she sat down to studying. Assuming they were still tracking the samurai, or at least trying to, where would they go? The samurai, when not directly facing Aku, tended to go from city to city fairly slowly, and the next city was… there. And then another and a another. Past that, there were just too many possibilities, but three were enough to start on.

As she considered, she came to a realization concerning a contradiction she hadn't consciously noticed before: there were no temples to Aku, yet writing was everywhere. There were no temples because devout belief in and love of Aku were so common and ingrained that nobody felt the need for them! Behind her mask, the High Priestess' expression shifted to one of childlike delight. But it didn't take long for her to discipline herself back to the task at hand: deciding how to get to the next city. She knew there would be vehicles going there, but she wasn't eager to ask for a ride after the last time, so that left purchasing, which she wasn't sure her funds would allow, or walking. Well, sunlight was pleasant to walk in, and so she vanished her map and began walking.


	44. Adaptations

A few days out, the High Priestess heard a number of motorcycles approaching, and turned back to look at them. Odd, she thought. She'd seen motorcyclists on the road before, but they'd always come in singles, pairs, or large groups, not seven or eight. She didn't slow, merely returned her gaze to the road before. Hmm… the motorcycles were slowing. Very strange, she thought. Perhaps they were like the hoodlums in the van. She turned to face them, not drawing a weapon, not just yet, but was ready to spring at an instant's notice. She did not get the instant.

The women of the Red Devils tore down the highway, enjoying the bright, warm day, when they saw the tall, slim figure in black. Weird looking chick, with that headdress of hers, and the leader signalled a slowdown. Oh yeah… a prime piece. The figure in black turned to face them, tensing in a way the Devils recognized. The leader touched a stud, and the figure went down.

When she came to, the High Priestess had been stripped of her robe, mask and headpiece, and learned she'd been tied to a small tree. Eight women in red leather sat around a large square of fabric, and one of them grinned at the sight. "Looks like Tall Dark and Gorgeous is awake. Welcome to your new life, Gorgeous."

"You will release me," she said. It was absolutely not a question, and one of the women, one whose racing suit was unzipped almost to her crotch, moved to rise, for a moment.

Another rose, presumably their leader. "Why should we do that? We got you just like we want: helpless. We could kill you, torture you, play with you… we like girls, you see. And we like you. We're going to have a lot of fun with you, then we're going to get lots of money for you once we get that paint off." Her tone perfectly matched her arrogant smirk, and she moved with easy self-awareness, like her daughters and their trainers.

"You will release me because you do not wish to anger me, or our Lord and Master," she said in that same commanding tone. The women merely laughed at her.

"Yeah, right. Who's your master, the local road boss? Guess you didn't know, they don't have one out here," another of the red-clad women said. Unlike the others, this one's skin was the same colour as her leathers.

"My Master? No. Our Master. Lord Aku, and I am His High Priestess, in search of our daughters," she told them with absolute conviction. The women went into a huddled conference, and while they conversed, the High Priestess silently thanked Aku for the inspiration to master her darkness more thoroughly that her daughters had managed. She began to pluck with her right hand at her left forearm, then some very careful, and awkward, manipulation brought the blade's edge to a position where she could slice the cords that bound her wrists. As the conference broke up, she swept her arms forward and produced her bow. With fantastic speed, she fired a hail of arrows toward the women, who were smart enough to raise their hands.

They looked to each other, and the leader spoke. "So, what do you want?" she asked, tremulous. "We don't have a lot," she pointed out.

"You have one thing of use to me: vehicles. You will take me to the nearest city, and I will both spare your lives and instruct you in the proper worship of Aku. Perhaps, if you do well, I will ask His blessing on you." Her self-confidence had never wavered, and it showed in her tone.

The women looked to each other, and to the woman with the bow, then conferred very briefly. "You win. We'll take you there and we'll try to learn how to worship Aku the right way."

"Good. Now bring me my things," and the one with her leathers unzipped did as ordered. With mask and robe and headpiece back in place, the High Priestess felt much more comfortable, and the next morning, they were on their way after the Red Devils' second lessons in the proper praising of Aku.

It was a short trip, and uneventful, and once they dropped off their passenger, the Devils pulled away as quickly as they could, wanting to put as much space as possible between themselves and the Aku-worshipping crazy woman. It was one thing to propitiate him with offerings or prayers, but that nut actually praised him!

The High Priestess walked to the city's main entrance, and though the yellow-skinned guards eyed her carefully, they didn't stop her or anyone else, and she proceeded to the centre of the odd city, with its strange, elliptical wall and many towers. A bevy of sights and sounds assailed her, enough to make her head swim, and she turned onto a side street. A dark lane caught her attention, and she followed it to a small, shadowed courtyard with benches on the edges and what she presumed to be trees, though she'd never before seen trees with five-sided purple leaves. Still, they were clearly thriving. In the comforting darkness, she sat and rested, regaining her equilibrium. "Lord Aku, give me what strength I need," she prayed softly as she stood, returning to the streets again. Strange shops, with goods she'd never before imagined, lined the streets, and she wandered along roughly parallel to the main street, firmly resisting the urge to go into the stores, lest she be tempted to purchase something.

Much wandering later, she finally found an area that seemed to hold lodging facilities, seeking out the least expensive, though it made her nose wrinkle in distaste, which only increased at the knowledge of her having to share her accommodations with unwitting schismatics. But there was no help for it, and as the sun grew low, she found a patch of concrete and performed her devotions to her portable idol. Hardly more than a handspan tall, the idol was as simple as could be, merely an unpainted carving of Aku made from the black stone of the cavern temple, but it was said to go back to before the temple's founding. She rose, vanished it, and went to her shared room, finding two other women, three men, and two beings she wasn't sure of, one of which seemed to be a more or less random agglomeration of multi-purpose limbs, and the other of which somewhat resembled a snake with six legs and as many arms, and a dozen eyes on stalks; the accumulation of limbs had no immediately obvious sense organs, and its skin was a curiously mottled green-brown, and the quasi-snake was managing to occupy its entire bed and part of the floor beneath it. Its scales shimmered green and metallic, and it followed her with about four of its eyes. After acknowledgements, she took an upper bunk, and lay down on the hard mattress, gradually falling asleep. Her dreams that night were odd and fragmentary, but she nonetheless woke refreshed, and after cleaning her face, availed herself of the strange breakfast her rental had included, then stepped back out, seeking a better lodging. Finally, she found herself in the lobby of a truly magnificent structure, and allowed a staff member to approach her.

He looked her over, and bowed slightly. "May I help you, miss?" he asked, in the deep voice typical of this species.

She nodded to him. "I seek my daughters; they left our home to follow the samurai, and I fear for their safety," she said, trying to sound worried but not distraught. "They are clothed much like me, but without my robe, and their masks are white, and they are much shorter." She held her hand level with her shoulder, "About this tall, and they number seven."

The man smiled broadly, but without showing his teeth. "Yes, I have seen them! They and their companion split a Zanti swarm, forced it completely around the city when it normally would have gone mostly around and partly through." He waved to the furniture grouping in red-purple. "Would you like to sit and talk?" She agreed, and he told her what he could of their activities, and of their companion; by the end, she was even more baffled than before. How was it possible for them to be protecting their Lord's creation while travelling with the Samurai? How could they even travel peacefully with him? Had he somehow turned them against Aku? But then why would the Samurai aid them in protecting the innocent? And yet, they had clearly been doing much good in the world. Her head was throbbing, and she departed after a polite good-bye, and thanking him for his aid.

She decided to proceed out of the city, passing through a district filled with truly strange structures, then once beyond the walls, set out for a large structure, a barn she seemed to recall it being called. It would do for shelter for the night, as least possibly. As she approached, a man approached her, the same species as those in the city, pointing a gun at her.

"Who are you?" he demanded, training his gun on her.

She raised her hand. "A mother seeking her daughters, and shelter for the night, no more."

He looked her over. "How many daughters, and how old?"

"Seven," she said. "All the same age: eighteen."

He lowered his gun. "I've heard about them, please, come in!" he said, in a much friendlier tone. "From what I've heard, they can take good care of themselves. And they're with the Samurai, you couldn't ask for a better protector.

She was suddenly very glad of her mask; it hid her stunned surprise at his statement. The Samurai? A protector? How could he possibly think that? The Samurai was a monster, she thought as she followed him toward his house. It was a large, single-storey dwelling of dark wood, with small windows. He opened the door, and called out what she guessed was a name, since it was answered by the entry into the front room of a clearly pregnant woman in a long dress.

They conversed in their own language briefly, then the woman smiled to her. "Of course you can stay. We have a spare room we keep ready, and if you're up early enough we can share breakfast."

Her mind was in a whirl. They believed the samurai was right, yet they offered generous hospitality to a stranger. How could this be? It made no sense. "I thank you," she said with a slight bow, and at their request, joined them in a small dinner before she went to her room for the night, where she performed her sunset devotions before she lay down to sleep.

In their own room, the couple looked to each other. "What is that woman?" the wife asked.

"I have no idea," the farmer admitted. "I know it's only right to let her stay the night, but…"

"But we'll both be glad when she's gone," she concluded. He nodded, and they kissed deeply as they slid into bed.

The High Priestess performed her devotions at sunrise, then went down to join the farmer and his wife in the offered breakfast; they made such conversation as they could, and she thanked them politely before she headed down the road once more.

As she walked, she continued to ponder the contradiction between their admiration of the Samurai and their kindness and hospitality. How could they be both honest and kind and admiring of the most evil being in all the world? And the hotel man was the same, admiring of him, saying her daughters could be with no better protector, not that they needed one. Granted they weren't human, but neither was Rika, and her thinking was not so strange. And how could her daughters possibly travel peacefully with him? They were clearly devout, even exemplary. How could both be true? Yet they certainly seemed to be. And so she continued down the road, catching occasional rides with people who seemed more composed and mannered. The one man who tried for a kiss accepted her refusal with reasonably good grace, and ten days or so later, she'd reached the next city, this one a port town.

Now, how to learn about her daughters and their activities? This city, she noticed, had a large range of species, though most were human. All right. Assume the girls had stayed the night here. They'd need to purchase lodgings, and they'd want a room they could share. Despite her best efforts, they'd been distressingly close, even dependent, and they'd probably become more so in the intervening time. Still, that did make her job a bit easier. Assuming they'd want to spend as little as they could, she could discard immediately the cheapest, since the rooms would be too small. And she could discard the more costly, since they'd want to conserve their funds. That, or excessive luxury would make them uncomfortable. So she began going to the various lodgings, and more often that not walking out immediately. But sometimes she stayed, and spoke with the managers. "My daughters follow the Samurai," she would tell them, "and I worry for their safety," and the managers would make sympathetic noises, but not help. But after well over a dozen, she was fortunate, and the manager knew who she meant. He couldn't tell her much, but he could confirm that yes, the girls had been there, for a night. She thanked him, departed, and sought out a shadowed corner to think.

How could she best find her daughters? They were travelling with the Samurai, and the Samurai left a trail behind himself. And everyone knew who the Samurai was, so that should help. But how to actually find him? She had to admit, having grown up almost entirely in the Temple had left her with a severe lack of conventional social skills. She was a bit more worldly than some, but that was still saying very, very little. So she continued to sit and think. Idle chatter was, to put it mildly, not encouraged in the Temple, but what little there was took place mostly in the kitchen or over meals. So, that gave her a starting place: a place people went to eat and drink was likely to be where they would talk most freely. But that led to another problem: her priestess' attire was extremely distinctive, and she'd noticed how people tended to view her with visible trepidation, and doubted that any would speak freely before her. This would take much contemplation.

As the sun grew low, she performed her devotions and again sought a cheap lodging house. A shared space was sufficient, and this time her roommates were human or near-human. As they lay in their hard, small beds, one of the others, a girl with purple-blue skin and an extra eyes above what she thought of as a normal pair, spoke into the darkness.

"So, what's with the mask?" she asked.

"The mask represents isolation from worldly concerns, and the headpiece shows my rank in our church," she answered.

"Well, it's creepy," the tri-eye said. "If it's not some kind of sin, maybe you should take it off sometimes."

That set the priestess to thinking. Was it sin not to wear her mask? Or was it only against common practice? She had not worn it to birth her daughters, but that was a normal exception, one of the few times a Daughter of Aku would go bare-faced. Their masks were marks of devotion and commitment, but as she thought upon it, she could recall no scripture or teaching that actually required their wearing. Their attire was meant to emulate their Lord Father, of course, and to dress otherwise was considered an offence and punished, but that was a law of the Temple, and exceptions were permitted, her daughters chief among them. Perhaps in the greater world it would be permissible as a means of better carrying out her mission? This would require a great deal of thought.

She slept and woke, performed her devotions, washed her face and went to breakfast, and found herself alone. Not in the room, but at her table; it seemed nobody wished to share space with her. How very odd, she thought. People had given her wide berth before, but not to this degree. She listened to what they said, and a few fragments came to her ears that seemed relevant. "Aku," "weird kind of," "worship," "really?" "sunrise," a few others. After breakfast, she departed, masked again and deeply troubled, to seek a shadowed place to meditate, finally finding a suitable nook on the lowest level of a parking structure.

It seemed the others found her praising of Aku strange and worrisome, and that made no sense. With so much writing everywhere, devout belief in Aku was clearly universal or nearly so. Why would others be disturbed by her devotion? Yet they clearly were. She pondered long, almost as still as a statue, until the realization came. It was not her devotion, it was her display. People in the greater world felt no need to make such shows, and so they saw her devotions as signs of a dangerous fanaticism! Of course they'd shy away from a possible madwoman. Yes, that made sense. That made the question of whether or not to continue wearing her priestly attire much simpler: she could not wear it and still pass as a normal mother concerned for her daughters. So she rose, stripped off her robe and mask and headpiece, and vanished them. She strode back to the street, and started to observe others more carefully, especially women.

Soon, she recognized a pattern: sheaths similar to her darksuit weren't common, but some women, mostly those with figures similar to her own, did wear them. But they also wore other things over them, and she'd need to obtain such if she wished to pass for ordinary. Happily, there were many places to buy clothing, and she turned into one, where she sought the advice of a salesgirl, coming out not long afterwards wearing over her darksuit a garment best described as two triangles attached base to base, with the base reaching to her elbows and the points halfway down her thigh, held in place with a belt as wide as two fingers; the top seemed to be made of woven copper, and the belt of woven silver. The girl had insisted on some sort of footwear, so she'd added a pair of closed toe sandals that appeared to be made of gold, though they'd cost far too little to be more than cunning imitations. She examined herself in the mirror, a slightly disorienting experience in itself, and was pleased by her new appearance. Though the sight of her bare face, a sight she couldn't honestly remember the last time she'd seen, was odd, and the feel of sun and wind on her face were as strange as ever to the cave dweller.

With her new attire came new reactions: admiring, even intrigued, instead of worried or worse. She continued walking, and after a long while, sat on a bench in a shadowed nook, waiting until night fell; after checking she was unobserved, she performed her sunset devotions, then rose to seek out a place where people ate and drank, preferably in groups. She looked through windows, finding places with small numbers at first, then others with long eating surfaces, and what she presumed to be some sort of entertainment table, though the entertainment value escaped her. Still, it was the best she'd seen, and she stepped into one. A few moments' observation showed that it was proper etiquette in this place to simply claim a place at at the eating surface, so she waited and watched, and took a place, ordering an inexpensive meal and drink, and eating quietly while she listened to the local conversation, most of which meant nothing to her.

Meal done, she chose to wander the place a bit, looking at the tables and the upright boxes. Very strange, they were; the boxes showed peculiar patterns or near-patterns of light, and the tables were apparently for some sort of contest involving balls and sticks. She chose a table with a large crowd around it, and slowly worked her way forward. When she reached the front, a lightly dressed woman her daughters' age or thereabouts make a dismissive sound.

"Check out the old lady," she sneered. "What'cha doin' here, the retirement home burned down?" She and two of her, the priestess presumed, friends, laughed vapidly.

"How do you play this game?" she asked a haughty-looking young man, who grinned at her.

"Like this," he said. "You have up to eight players, but really four's the best. Everyone's got a colour, four balls, and a goal. You use your sticks," which were about as long as her forearm, plus their grips, "to bat your balls to move the white ball over the other guys' goals, and they try to do the same. Nobody bats the white ball. Every time the white ball goes over your goal, you get a point, and the first one to five points loses. You can play up to one less round than you have players. Four's best because after than, you need too many colours, and the table gets too crowded."

The priestess nodded. "It sounds straightforward enough. I'll try it. Against you, one to one?"

He grinned. "And when I win, I claim a prize: your lips, gorgeous."

She had the the wit to laugh at that, rather than pull her knife for sake of insult. "On our first game? Hardly a fair bet. Let's just start," she said.

He looked theatrically disappointed, and most of the crowd laughed. Then the game began; it was a simple game in terms of rules, but in terms of actual gameplay, surprisingly deep and complex. The priestess soon racked up five points to none, and requested another play, this time losing by only two points, then a third, closing the skill gap a little. But the onlookers were getting restless, and soon she and her instructor consented to a four player game. The underdressed idiots whooped as the game started, "Whoever cleans Grannie's clock, we go home with you!" The guys smirked at that, and the priestess turned a cold look upon the girls, one fit to chill even their vacuous little hearts.

Then the game began in earnest, sticks and balls soon little but blurs. At first, the priestess played defensively, letting her opponents vie against each other for the dubious honour of the girls' company, then once the boy playing with the orange balls was out, went on the offensive, letting them see a bit of the speed and quickness with which His essence filled her as she and Blue eliminated Green, then it was just Blue and her, and she drew more deeply on His gift to her, faster and quicker than anyone he had ever seen. She wanted those girls for her own reasons, but the match was harder that she had anticipated. She was fast, blindingly so, but his skill was honed over much of his young life, and both racked up points steadily. In a desperate stunt she wasn't sure would work, the priestess struck one of her balls high and off-centre, spinning it into a wild trajectory none could predict, but which she thought would likely intercept with the white. Yes! she grinned fiercely as the ball did just as she'd hoped, spinning the white into its own curving trajectory, but simpler, one she could influence. Unfortunately, that meant he could do the same, but in her mind that just put them on the same level. Lord Father, this game was hard! And once the white settled down, she saw an opening, an opening impossible for anyone limited to human norms, and a pair of red balls bounced the white into an arrow-flight trajectory so fast even her opponents couldn't quite stop it. The loss icon lit, and the descending tone sounded. She bowed to her opponents. and thanked them for the entertainment and instruction, then turned to the Idiots Three.

"So… since they all lost, you're coming with me. Aren't you." And the look on her face and the tone in her voice made them quail, but they nodded weakly. Then to the boys, "Don't worry. You'll get them back in working order," she said before turning back to her prizes. "Now march!" she said, and directed them out the door. "Show me where you live," she commanded, and the girls obeyed, taking her to their apartment, which was, surprisingly to her, in a quite nice building, and itself clean and neat. It turned out to have one large bedroom, and one large bed. "Now," she said, sitting in a chair while the girls huddled upon the bed, "you will will tell me all you know of the Samurai."


	45. High Low and Main(lands)

As she walked the streets the next day, the High Priestess' confusion left her nearly unaware of the people and buildings. The little fools weren't smart enough to create consistent lies, yet they'd made it clear that the Samurai was regarded as a hero, a guardian of the innocent and protector of the oppressed! How could that be? He opposed Aku at every turn, and those fools praised him for it! Granted, they were fools, but that was all the more reason to think that their perceptions were common; they weren't smart enough to question what they thought they knew. And yet, if she assumed that the Samurai was a protector of the innocent or something like it, that would explain why Aki was still alive. But how could a protector of the innocent and a guardian of the oppressed be such a terrible opponent to Aku? It wasn't possible unless Aku was evil, a clearly ridiculous idea. And so she walked and thought, her headache growing steadily.

Eventually, she found a shadowed nook in which to practice her forms. Thinking further on this would get her nowhere, it was obvious, so time to stop thinking. And she needed to keep her skills up as best she could, so began with warmups, then stretches, then forms, armed and unarmed. If she only knew where to practice her archery. After a time she resumed wandering, and as the hour grew late, she found another establishment such as the previous night's, this one partly underground. The long eating surface was similar, but the lighting was very different, more subdued, and the boxes and tables of entertainment different in ways she couldn't readily understand. Still, she again purchased a meal and a drink, ate them quietly, and joined the crowd around a particular table, eventually working her way to where she could see clearly. Very strange indeed, this one was. Two men about her own apparent age, working sticks and tapping what looked like stones while what appeared to be two tiny women, about as tall as her hand was long, fought each other with grapples, kicks and punches, their fanciful outfits disintegrating slowly at each blow. She continued to watch, wondering what was actually happening; the women clearly had no real fighting skill. Then one woman's last bit of clothing disintegrated, and she went to her knees before the barely clad victor, and both fighters dissolved into collections of blocks which then faded away. What in the world had she just seen?

Not wanting to ask, she continued to watch while two new people took the seats, a man and a woman this time. Both inserted coins into slots in the table, then tapped the sticks, and little men and women flickered into and out of existence over the table. Eventually, a tanned, black haired man in heavy boots, thick-looking pants, a long coat and a shirt appeared before the man, and a woman with long blonde hair appeared before the woman; she wore a very strange outfit indeed, with tight blue pants tucked inside elaborately tooled leather boots, a shirt of some red and white material tied off below her breasts, a leather vest tooled in the same manner as her boots, and a truly peculiar hat. Then as the people began to work the sticks and stones, the man and woman began to fight. Badly. Finally, the High Priestess understood: the man and woman were something like puppets! That made the contest much more interesting. The couple was more skillful that the previous pair, and she watched with considerable interest. She wondered if her daughters had tried such games. As the game neared its end, a man about her own apparent age caught her eye, and gestured her to him; she chose to work her way around the table to him.

"Good evening," he said to her.

"Good evening," she answered.

"So, what brings you here? Care for a drink?" he asked with a slightly unconvincing smile.

She shook her head, "But thank you. What brings me here… I'm looking for my daughters. They left our home to seek the Samurai, and I worry for their safety."

His smile faded to a look of real concern. "I can understand that. Let's go find a booth, they're sound-screened," and he led her to a suspended pod with a profile like a flattened teardrop. Inside, there were seats for four, and very little sound coming from outside. The lights were low, and shortly after they'd seated themselves, a table top swung out from the wall and rotated to flat. "So, tell me about your daughters?"

She smiled, a genuinely warm look. "Wonderful girls. Fast, strong, skilled, capable. They wear sheaths like mine, and they're eighteen years old."

"Wait, did you say they?" he asked. "You have twin daughters?"

She smirked a bit. "No. Seven," and watched his jaw drop and his eyes grow wide.

"Seven, you have… oh! I heard about them, they found the samurai. Last I heard, they were heading… generally that way," and he indicated a direction. "Rumour has it they broke up a slave trading operation, they're heroes."

She smiled brightly. We've defended the helpless and freed the oppressed. Every time she thought she could not be more proud of her girls, could not love them more, she learned otherwise. "They've always been exceptional, but I did not know how exceptional. And they travel with the Samurai, do they?"

"Oh, yes," he said, perfect conviction. "They're his students. If there's such a thing as a band of heroes left in this world, it's them, and him."

"Thank you," she said, her tone soft in a way it had not been for many, many years. She and the man chatted a little more, a bit awkwardly, then she excused herself and again sought out cheap lodgings. The next morning, she was on her way again. And so it went, day by day, place by place, ride by ride, and now and then corpse by corpse.

Eventually, the High Priestess found her way to a far land and strange, where the people spoke in no way she knew, with dropped sounds and great booming voices. At least they were welcoming… though their idea of a friendly greeting could leave an ordinary person in need of hospital care.

The locals remembered her daughters, and passed her along to the north, until eventually she made her way to a certain great castle, where an enormous young woman greeted her with narrowed eyes an a very big axe with a very long shaft. "State yer business," she said firmly.

"I seek my daughters," she said. "They follow the Samurai, and I worry for them."

The girl frowned thunderously. "What do yer daughters look like?" she demanded, and the High Priestess told her. Almost before she finished, the big woman had the axe swinging down toward her; she sprang back barely fast enough to avoid at best serious injuries. "Get gone 'afore I call me sisters, ye scabby Aku-praisin' wallopin' Sassenach!"

The High Priestess backed away, but pulled her bow and drew an arrow. "I will see my daughters." The woman struck a gong with the butt of her axe's haft, and horns range through the castle.

"Ye'll see yer grave," she roared as she charged the trespasser. And as she charged, she swung left to right with her huge axe, forcing the High Priestess to spring backward, vanishing the bow and producing her knife. The Scottish girl didn't relent, not even when the solid shadow of a blade broke her axe's shaft; as the Priestess lunged, the girl rolled after the head, coming up with axe in one hand and short staff in the other. Blow against blow, speed against strength, small cuts and minor bruises all either could land until a hideous multi-toned screeching rang from the gate.

"We got yer back, Verdana!" one of them shouted over the ululation of a dozen voices and more as the voices' owners and the operator of the torture device burst through the gate, with spears, axes and swords at ready. The Priestess sized up the situation, and immediately began to backpedal as fast as she could. The strange women allowed her to flee, then one of them went to inform their parents.

Why had they attacked her? the Priestess wondered once she'd put enough distance between herself and the castle, hidden in the darkness of the evergreen forest. That one girl had acted as if worshipping Aku was somehow wrong. What lies had they been taught? How had they… had her daughters been there? But if the castle folk so hated Aku worshippers, how had they not been killed? Unless they'd hidden their natures? They had worked at a theatre, perhaps they'd learned a few things there? Yes, that would explain it! Her girls had learned to dissimulate, to appear to be what they wanted others to see! Such brilliant children, such amazing insights! Oh, their reunion would be a thing of wonder!

But now what? She'd been told the girls and the Samurai had gone to that castle, but what after? They must have gone somewhere, but where? She continued walking, heading without realizing it toward the coast. Days later, she emerged from forest to coastal cliff, the transition so abrupt she nearly missed a step. She looked out over the vast deep, heard the roar of the surf. Looking up and down the cost, she spotted a few small cottages and began working her way toward them, following the coast while staying in the forest.

She finally emerged on the headland, and looked slowly around. What a strange sight, little houses up and down the cliff wherever there was a space to build on, with wooden ramps connecting them. And at the base of the cliffs, floating wood platforms. She made her careful way down to a bright yellow house, and tapped at the door; a plump, careworn woman answered, and asked in a nearly impenetrable accent if she could help. The High Priestess nodded, and said that she sought the Samurai, this time without mentioning her daughters. The woman said that she'd seen his ship go by some time before, and the priestess thanked her, then went her way again.

A ship? Were her daughters learning to sail? Amazing. Simply amazing. Not half a year and they'd learned to earn and handle money, hold steady employment, survive in a wilderness, ride vehicles, dissimulate, possibly infiltrate, and now they were learning the ways of the sea! By the time she caught up with them, the would have changed out of all recognition! Still, at least she had an answer to one question: why the samurai was still alive.

The High Priestess resumed her journeying, step by step, day by day, slowly working her way down the coast, then back to the mainland, purchasing cheap passage on a freighter, and spending most of the trip in her tiny cabin, in prayer and meditation. She debarked as soon as she could without getting in the way of the crew, and in the harbour town, resumed her search, working her way along the coast, hoping she was on the right coast. Day by day, her slow search continued, the occasional ride speeding her along, and the occasional corpse partly renewing her funds. Some people just could not control their baser urges. Still, it wasn't entirely negative; one particularly foolish carload of over-eager young men had been kind enough to vacate their car before attempting to force themselves upon her, and now she had transportation (and happily, a long stretch of mostly-empty road upon which to learn the art of not crashing).


	46. Tales and Travels

Days and kilometres rolled by, the High Priestess following what leads she could toward the Samurai. A rather confused story from a man about her daughters' age led her to a forest from which came loud, but not unpleasant, music. It was not to her tastes, but it was competently performed and not very annoying. Soon enough she saw bright lights, and found many young people dancing together; she drew upon her training in general athletics to blend her movements with the dancers', and as she worked her way into the crowd, a tall shirtless man with very dark skin and hair like wool grinned at her.

"Hey, hot mama! What bring you here?" he shouted, grinning wide.

"I seek the Samurai." Suddenly, the music stopped and a spotlight struck her.

A woman's voice came from the platform before the large screen. "What do you want with the Samurai?"

"Please," she answered softly, "my daughters follow him, and I fear for their safety."

In answer, the figure raised her hands in a curious sign, then the others did the same. "Samurai… DROP!" she called, and they began to dance and sing in praise of the samurai and how he had freed them from Aku's music-moderated control.

At the end of the performance, she bowed to the figure, and to the dancers. "Thank you. I will continue my search," and she left the dancers to their music. They clearly believed the tale absolutely, but how could it be? Aku would never do such a thing. Would he? There was the tale of Fa Zhu in the Book of Weng, and in the Book of Rais there was Ilona and Garth. Perhaps he would do such a thing. A shuddersome thought, that. She returned to her vehicle, which she had taken to using as a portable shelter.

The next morning, she drove around the forest, then parked the car and went out to hunt. She was tired of the weird town food, and soon enough had a good number of small animals, enough for several days' food. She smoked it over the evening, save for the one carcass she merely roasted for dinner, and the next morning resumed her travels, heading mostly southward and eastward. Eventually, she ran out of road, and resumed walking. Days later, as she was passing through a budding forest, she heard the twang of bowstrings, and quickly took cover behind a thick tree. She watched strange, metallic creatures scurry past, arrow shafts pierced deep into them, then she barely dodge another arrow, one that drove right through her tree!

"If you are one of Aku's minions, we suggest you run! If you are another, show yourself!" demanded a deep, male voice.

She raised her hands and stepped out. "I seek the Samurai," she said and as the man frowned at her, spoke further. "My daughters travel with him, and I fear for their safety."

The lead bowman, taller than herself and more muscular even than Rika, slung his weapon and stowed his arrow. "You need not fear for them," he said as he held out his hand. "Samurai Jack is a noble spirit. Come, we will tell you our tale, that you may know him better," and as they walked, they told her the tale of the Well of King Osric, and of the price they had paid for their wish, and how Samurai Jack had freed them, destroying the well. She looked upon the huge statue of the Samurai, unable to grasp it, and barely heard their words past that. She simply thanked them for their tale, and moved on. Her head swam with confusion. They'd built that immense statue to honour the Samurai, yet he had not required it, did not even know of it. They truly and sincerely believed that he was a great and noble warrior. How could that be? And why would Aku have created something as horrible as that well? For who else could it have been? She sought out a small cave, vanished her conventional clothing in favour of her Temple garments, and from the moment she saw the sun's light move away from the entrance, she kowtowed before the idol. From before dusk to after dawn, she prayed fervently, begging and beseeching, asking only strength and guidance, but by the time she was forced to rise and attend to the demands of the body, no answer had come. She resumed her walk, head down and heart heavy.

More days came and went, and as she approached another settlement, she again vanished her temple garb in favour of her conventional attire. Though she did not know exactly where the Samurai had gone, she hoped to have caught up to him enough that asking questions would get answers more useful than "more or less that way." In this town, she chose to employ a different tactic: she went to a large green space where she saw children playing, and adults she presumed to be their parents watching them. There, she sat down on a bench, a fretful, worried look on her face, until someone, this time a young woman, approached her.

"If you don't mind my saying, I couldn't help noticing you look kind of worried. Want to talk about it? Maybe I'll know someone who can help," she offered, diffidently.

The High Priestess nodded. "I am worried. My daughters travel with the Samurai, and I worry for their safety. I would love nothing better than to find them, but it's so slow, going from town to town, chasing vague leads."

The young woman sighed heavily, "I can understand that. But I'm sure they're fine, I've heard about the Samurai's new allies and what I've heard is amazing. I wish I could help more, I just haven't heard much about them lately. Last I heard, they were down around Kald, heading southwest, and that's about it."

The High Priestess sighed, and stood up slowly. "Thank you," she said, and began walking toward a wooded portion of the green space.

Watching her were two large figures, quadrupeds with slow, deep voices. "One of Aku's bounty hunters?" one asked.

"I sense her evil," said the other. They walked quietly toward her, letting her own sounds in the woods cover theirs before they reared and sprang at her. "We will not let you hurt the samurai!"

The High Priestess sprang away. "Hurt him? No, I wish to find him, I fear for my daughters' safety while they are with him!"

The creatures settled back down to all fours. "Walk with us," one said. "Let us tell you of the Samurai." At her nod, he continued. "We were slaves," and he told her the tale of the Critchellites and how they had abused his people, and how the Samurai had freed them. "I know this tale is true, for I was there when he freed us."

"I thank you," she said to him, and walked slowly away. This was getting stranger by the moment. At least now she had a clearer direction than before. It would do.

.oO()Oo.

"Jack!" Ashi screamed. The monitor showed only his retreating form and the collapsed children. "Ashi to Daughters, come in. What condition are the children in? Over!"

"Ami here. The children just… convulsed and passed out. They're breathing, that's all we can tell. Over."

"We'll rendezvous at the bikes, then start tracking Jack. Ashi out."

She and her sisters made best speed back to their bikes. They mounted and started their engines, and a red dot appeared in their vision at Aji's command. "I didn't share the locator with Jack. Whoever or whatever might be with him probably shouldn't know we're following," she said, and Ashi concurred as they sped after Jack's signal. Behind him, not far but still too far, they tried to catch up, spotting glimpses of something that glowed sickly green now and again as they followed the twisting road through the forest, finally breaking out of the trees. They'd driven without lights, using their masks' night vision capability instead, and stopped just past the tree line. Beyond the trees, they saw a meadow, or what they took for a meadow, in which carven stones stood askew in what had once been neat rows; they deactivated their night vision, and briefly wondered if it was still on, for the area was lit by a similar green light. They spread out, approaching the centre of the green glow, and saw there, "Jack!" Ashi shouted in happiness, then paused as she realized that Jack wore only his fundoshi, and that the tanto she herself had given him lay before him, unsheathed. She and her sisters watched an armoured figure on horseback approach him, and dismount.

The immense being did not touch the ground, but glided upright toward them. "You may witness, but you may not proceed any further," it said in a deep, sepulchral voice.

"In the name of my father," Adi said, "I command you: name yourself and your purpose!"

The figure shuddered slightly, and turned to face her. "The samurai has failed in his purpose. He has accepted his fate," said the figure, and drifted back to beside the man; the figure drew his sword, and raised it high in both hands.

The girls did not know what the being meant to do exactly, but knew it was bad. Ashi spoke a single syllable, and the figures became streaks of dark lightning. Thunder crashed for an instant, and the figure staggered, but did not fall. "This does not concern you. There is no hope," said the figure as he struck the girls away one by one.

Jack took up the tanto, and turned its point toward himself. As Ashi and Avi struck again at the armoured figure, the spirit made substance, Ami dove at the samurai, grabbing his arm. "He lies!" the girl yelled, pitting her might against Jack's as the warrior sought to drive the knife home in his gut. "There is still hope, there is always hope!" she cried out as the figure kicked her away. Avi struck the distracted being with her kanabo, denting its kabuto and flinging it away from Jack, and Adi and Aji fired on it with electrolaser and laser carbine. Ami grabbed the samurai's arm once more. "You spared our lives, gave us new ones, taught us hope!" she cried, demanded, insisted.

"Hope is but a fleeting sentiment," the figure said as it fought the other sisters, its armour marred and cut and dented by their strikes as its blows pulverized stone. "Your failure is real. You must face the consequences or continue to bear the guilt of your dishonour for all eternity."

While Ami struggled, Aji called out. "How has the samurai failed?"

"Death follows in his wake," the figure declared as he tossed the noisome girl aside, only to be struck by others. "Men, women, children! Yes, all those children dead because of you!"

Ami grinned and her mask faintly echoed it. "He's wrong! Jack, we checked: the children live! Because of you, because of us, all of us! You bought the time we needed to save them!"

Jack looked up at the masked girl. "They… live?"

"Yes! We can take you to them!" she stated.

He stood, took up his katana, and as the battered spirit roared in anger, struck through it, a single, mighty blow, charged with hope and faith restored, with purpose and will, and the shinigami screamed as it dissipated into the nothing it truly was. As the girls gathered before him, he smiled. "Thank you. For your faith, and for your aid." Then they bowed to each other.

"What now?" Ashi asked.

"Now," he said, "it is time to find my sword."


	47. Run and Hunt

As they drove back to the factory, to escort the children back to their village, Jack spoke over their comms. "One of you said to the shinigami, 'In the name of my father, I command you,' and he obeyed. Who is your father than you can do such things?"

Adi answered him. "We don't know. But we were raised in the Temple of Aku, our darksuits were originally drawn from Aku's realm, our headpieces meant to echo Aku's horns, and we were taught to regard Aku as our father. I hoped that if I commanded him 'in the name of my father,' he'd take it to mean I was actually somehow Aku's daughter, or at least a favoured servant. And it worked."

"Of course, we're not actually Aku's daughters, that's ridiculous," Ashi added. "He's Aku, he couldn't get our mother pregnant."

Jack thanked them, but inwardly, he wondered. The shinigami had obeyed her, to a degree. Was there perhaps some connection to Aku in their background somewhere? Perhaps it was simply some emanation from their darksuits, and their Aku-like headpieces. The idea of their being Aku's literal daughters was entirely absurd, of course.

It was not long before they reached the factory again, and found the children standing up, helping each other up. Jack and the girls shed their masks. "Please," Jack said to them. "Let us help you, get you home. You… I am sorry. Your parents…" Many of them started to cry, and others tried to soothe them. "We will guide you back to your village. You will aid and comfort each other, and your elder will instruct you in what you must do. Now, come with us," he said, and the children came, with the girls shepherding them, keeping stragglers and strays with the main group. Finally, they got the children back, just in time for the sun to rise.

It took several days, but with Jack and the girls' help, and the survivor's guidance, they managed to raise shelters and light pyres. Happily, the people of the village considered cremation an acceptable funeral practice, and watching their parents' bodies burning did seem to help the children. With so many dead, it had been a slow process. But by the time they left, the village seemed on the way to recovery.

.oO()Oo.

Half a month later as they headed across the desert toward the destination Jack had given, Ari pointed to the sandy horizon. "Jack, is that a good cloud, or a bad cloud?"

"Bad," he answered instantly. "Very, very bad," he said. "We must find shelter quickly; that is the tamsun, the wind that builds the tombs." He gunned the engine a little, but only a little, and they all searched for something that would serve as shelter.

As the tamsun drew nearer, Ari veered off. "I see something, a building I think!" and the others went after her. It did look like a building, wide and high and shallow, but its walls were black metal, and appeared seamless, save for a large rent. Yet there was no time to seek other shelter, and so they quickly dismounted and wheeled their bikes through the rent. Just in time, for they had only parked their bikes in line for a quick exit when the tamsun hit the walls, making a strange, wavering hiss. They counted themselves fortunate the rent was on the leeward side. Large, flickering blue panels on the walls lit the rooms, and the girls stripped off their leathers, swapping their helmets for their mask and headpieces; they and Jack readied various ranged weapons.

"Jack, do you have any idea what this is?" Aji asked.

He shook his head. "Only that it is very large." With that, they began to walk down the corridor, finding themselves after a time at a shaft lined with large protrusions from the walls, a bit more than half again a person's height apart. Jack slung his bow, lowered himself from one, and with effort swung toward the wall side of the one below. "We must be…" he began to say, only to see the girls leap to the wall between the platforms and scuttle quickly down, as sure and swift as squirrels on a tree trunk. He sighed, then thought, "Why not?" and simply dropped, landing as he had learned from the jump apes.

They looked around once more, and resumed walking, the corridor lit in green. Aji looked up. "Very confined. Not much larger than the sisters' cells."

Ari looked at the floor. "Writing, but not the kind we know."

Jack too looked up and down, seeing the tiny rooms above and below. "A prison. A prison vessel, from offworld. Probably damaged and crashed. But if it is a prison…"

"Then where are the prisoners?" Ashi asked. A sudden flash of movement and she pulled her leg back. "Avi!?"

The axe wielder just pointed to the slug-like thing she'd cut in half. "It sprang at you." Ashi nodded in understanding. They didn't know it was dangerous, but that was the point.

Aji knelt to examine it. "Rigid plates, hollow… powers of darkness, this thing is horrible! Its legs are hollow, either to inject venom or to suck blood. Or maybe both. Ashi's lucky she didn't get hit." Jack and Ashi both just nodded solemnly.

"We should get out of here," Ashi said. "Or at least back to the bikes." The others nodded, and quickly retraced their steps; a weird, cold chittering shriek lent their flight greater urgency. They quickly ran and sprang back up to the corridor from which they'd dropped, and ran for the rent, only to find a blank wall. Ashi stammered out an apology, which Jack waved off, saying they all been mistaken.

"Wait!" Aki cried. "Our helmets have locators, can't we home on them?"

Aji's mask smiled slightly. "Yes. It won't tell us how to get there, but we'll at least know where we want to go." A quick command, and arrows appeared in the lower centre of their vision, then turned to black dots. "No good, our masks can't find them." A second command turned off the dots. Then the shriek came again, and they again ran, quickly climbing a ladder, once the safety rail of a walkway, emerging onto what had been a wall, now a curved floor, with ladders and walkways running at every angle and in every direction.

"What madness is this?" Jack demanded.

"Better than what's chasing us!" Ari replied as the girls sprang for a former ladder, Jack following.

"Always go up, always go left!" Jack shouted over their comms as they approached the first choice of directions, and ran up the steep ladder, once a walkway. They kept running, kept following their rule, until they came to a large chamber with a large transparent sphere at its centre, its side shattered from within.

"Another cell?" Ashi asked.

"Yes," Jack replied. "A very large one." The shriek echoed behind them, and Jack nocked an arrow at the girls drew their weapons. "And I fear its occupant has returned!"

Into their view hove up a hideous blue and black mass of creatures like the one that attacked Ashi earlier, and they opened fire, all save Avi and Aki. Explosions, bolts of lightning, coherent light, razor sharp stars, barely visible stun beams, all eroded the composite creature's mass, yet it seemed not to notice. It spat its creatures at them, Aki and Avi slicing them with katana and smashing them with kanabo, shielding the others as best they could, but it didn't even slow down.

"We have to run!" Ashi shouted. "Jack, the pipes! Can you reach them?"

"Yes!" he answered instantly, and fired a frog crotch arrow at a dangling power line, which fell and struck the creature, briefly paralyzing it, and killing a few more of its components. But it was so little against the whole… Jack sprang up to the pipes on the ceiling, and the girls clung to the once-wall like spiders, and they dashed for the nearest exit as best they could, dropping back to the wall as soon as they could.

They continued to follow their up-left rule, running as hard as they could, then Ashi turned hard right. "This way!" she shouted, and the others followed to a door marked by black and yellow diagonal lines and three large, pulsing circles above it.

A camera extended from the wall. "Scan commencing," a female voice said, and a red light played over them. "Non-prisoner life forms detected." The door slid open and they hurried inside. The door shut, and they all took the time to pant heavily, recovering from their exertions. "Multiple prison cell breach detected. Containment protocol initiated." said the voice while they looked around. So many weapons, of so many kinds. Ashi picked up a hugely oversized beam weapon, carefully not touching anything that looked like a possible trigger.

Jack approached a stand at the centre of the room, as did Aji and Ari, while the others examined the weapons. "Quadrant Three, breach detected. Prisoner Lazarus-92," the voice said, an image of the creature in a semi-humanoid configuration appearing. "Extremely dangerous, multiple regenerating organisms. Emergency protocol instructions: Neutralizing weapon X-49. Once prisoner Lazarus-92 has entered the weapon vicinity, enter weapon initiating sequence." The directions were simple, and all three paid very close attention. "Only after proper weapon initialization can prisoner Lazarus-92 be terminated. Warning: the weapon is omnidirectional and non-discriminatory. Withdraw immediately upon activating." The image winked out, and a disc rose on a shaft. Jack picked it up, and without touching it, rehearsed the activating sequence, then the two girls did the same.

By that time, the others had collected additional armaments: Ashi a large shield and a weapon akin to two very long swords with a handle at the centre, Ami something akin to a rocket launcher, Avi a collection of odd, semi-organic looking pods strapped to her thighs and forearms, Aki a rifle that looked somehow liquid, and Adi a pair of… objects that could not be readily described, with many curves and fins and curious protrusions, seemingly carved of brown-veined pink marble. They had identifiable grips, and presumably the place where the protrusions mostly converged was the discharge area, but beyond that, Jack would not even venture a guess.

"What's that?" Ashi asked, indicating the disc.

"It is a weapon specifically designed to kill the creature," Jack said. "I and these two," he gestured to them, "know how to use it." He still had difficulty telling them apart with their masks on.

Ashi's mask smiled faintly. "Excellent."

"Yes," Jack agreed, and the eight departed their temporary haven. Now it was the creature's turn to be hunted. Through the corridors of the great ship-tomb, they stalked as silent as they could, until they finally heard the creature. Behind their masks they smiled. From the vents, a sudden torrent of slug-like organisms burst, sudden but not surprising. The sisters discharged their new weapons, and the tide of slugs found itself forced back by micro-missile explosions, fans of high energy particles from Avi's pods, beams of ragged light from Adi's whatsises, and bursts of fiery gel from Aki's rifle. Some of course got through, only to perish on the edges of Ashi's edged staff or Ari's naginata. "We must clear a path, or the weapon could kill us as well as the creature!" Jack shouted, and they quickly changed formation, Ashi and Ari side by side to guard flanks and rear as the others forced the opening they needed. They ran as quickly as they could, glad to see that they were slightly faster than the creature. As soon as they had a few paces' room, Jack hit the activation sequence and flung the weapon high and back while they all ran as fasts they could. It was barely far enough, for the metallic floor conducted the lightning-like bolts from the disc to them, and they all screamed and convulsed, every fibre of their being spasming in agony. But after a far too long brief time, the weapon ran dry, and they dared to look back.

The creature was nothing now but a pile of burst component organisms, green fluids splattered up and down the corridor, including, they finally realized, on them. "I hope this ship has a shower," Adi said. "And maybe a laundry…" They all nodded in agreement, and started searching.

Jack finally found what he thought was likely a laundry machine, and tested it by placing a garment from another room into the machine and pressing a button marked with a whole circle. The machine made a whirring sound, then beeped, and the garment was slightly cleaner. It would have to do. Piece by piece, Jack put his armour through it, except for his menpo and kabuto, and smiled brightly to see each piece come out not merely clean, but seemingly polished. Even the lacings, so hard to keep clean and pest-free in his own time, were like new. When they found the bikes, he'd clean and polish his headgear.

The girls found a shared shower, and with no conception of being private in regards to each other, stepped under the spray, wiping the goo from their darksuits, including each other's backs, utterly unaware of the effect their actions would have had on any interested observer.

"What is this guck?" she asked. "Our darksuits normally absorb blood, but this?"

"I thing this thing's blood is actually a poison to other life," Aji answered. "Just as well Avi killed that first one." Ashi answered that with a shudder at the possibilities, all of them bad.

Eventually, the eight managed to meet up again, and find a cafeteria in the area where the ship's gravity control was still working. They'd learned that most worlds' foods were edible to those of other worlds,, and if it wasn't that became obvious in seconds, so had no real qualms about helping themselves to what they could find. Some of it was disgusting, much bland or weird, but they were none of them picky eaters, and found enough tasty things to get a good, filling meal before they made their slow, trial-and-error way back to their bikes, only to look out the rent and see the tamsun still howling. They chose to settle in until the storm lifted, and as the sky grew darker, Ari turned to Jack.

"Jack, how long do these tamsuns last?"

He sighed. "Up to several days. But normally, they only last a few hours. We might find it desirable to stay here until morning."

She nodded to that. "And why is it called 'the wind that builds the tombs?'"

He smiled a little at that. "Because the large amounts of sand carried by a very great tamsun can bury entire buildings. But we need not worry, because this ship is much too tall and too wide to be buried. I doubt the rent in the side will even be covered further."

The tension that had built during his explanation left the girls' faces and postures. "So," Ashi said, "we're in the best place we could be. Food, shelter, and this would be a good opportunity to try the water collectors we bought." Jack nodded to that, and they set up the four briefcase-sized devices, and connected large bottles to their outlets. While the bottles slowly filled, the devices drawing and condensing the vapour in the air, they talked, and later sparred and practiced, and the sisters practiced their singing, to Jack's delight. In this matter, it was they who were the experts. By the time they were ready for sleep, the storm had died down, but they chose to spend the hours before pre-dawn within the ship. So they stretched out on the floor to sleep, and their night was not overly troubled.

Came the pre-dawn, they awoke, and readied themselves for their journey with light, white garments to help them keep cool. They rode until the day grew too hot to keep moving, camped and rested, then drove on, finally reaching the place Jack said they would most likely find the sword.


	48. Revelations

High atop the hoodoo, Jack remove his kabuto and menpo, the girls their leathers and helmets. The wind cooled the top enough that their sun robes were not needed. Ami saw the stress in his stance. "What troubles you, Jack?" she asked softly.

He sighed heavily. "This is a difficult place for me. It is not that I lost my sword in this place, it is how I came to lose it."

"Do you wish to tell us?" she prompted, voice still soft and gentle.

"No," he said, "but I think I must. As I walked up the path, a little goat came to walk behind me. It was a quite adorable little thing with large, soft eyes and white wool, and as I walked up higher, two more joined us. Atop this hoodoo, there was, I had heard, a time portal, and as we walked, I spoke to the goats as if they could understand. I knew they could not, of course, but it made me feel less alone. Here at the top, well, you have seen the carvings on the standing stones. One of the little goats led me to the portal, and I ran and jumped into it. I fell through time, finally to return to the past and destroy Aku." He hesitated, and Ashi prompted his gently to speak further. He breathed deeply, and sighed very, very heavily. "It was the cruelest trick Fate has ever played. I was actually within the portal, falling back to my own time, when Aku clutched the back of my robe and hauled me out, still in this time. He flung me away, and as I charged the portal once more, he blew it up with his eye beams. You see that great pit?" and he gestured to a hole a good twelve paces across. "That is where the portal was. I was furious, and Aku's taunting enraged me further, and I tried to kill him. He managed to evade my strikes, for my anger made me careless and clumsy, then before he fled, turned the little goats into terrible monsters, bent upon my death. In my rage, I…" He stopped, and broke down sobbing. Ami and Ashi went to hold him, and none felt the need to press him for more. Yet even so, he mastered himself somewhat, and continued his tale. "When I saw what I had done, I dropped the sword, and it rolled to the edge of the pit. A standing stone fell, and the sword dropped into the pit. I was not able to find it again."

The girls nodded. "But now, you have help. You have us, and proper climbing gear, and light sources, and night vision in your menpo," Ashi said, her voice soft, but firm. "Let's go," she said, and the seven donned their masks then began to scuttle down the walls while Jack rigged himself to rappel down. It was not too long until they reached the bottom, and began to search, finding only rocks. Rocks, and a little skull with horns over which Jack stood for several heartbeats.

"It is not here," he said, sad but resigned.

"Could someone else have taken it?" Aji asked.

Jack shook his head. "I realize now, I did not lose the sword; the sword left me."

Back atop the hoodoo, the climbing gear once more stowed away, Jack looked back to the girls. "I do not know how long this will take," he said.

"We'll stay with you," Aki told him. "After all you've done for us, how can we not?"

"You cannot," he said firmly. "This is something I must do on my own."

"Wait, we…" and Aki trailed off as Jack removed his headgear and sat, legs crossed and hands in his lap. "Oh. Well, we can wait," and the seven moved away, each taking a different place on the hoodoo's edge, sentry shadows in the late afternoon sun.

At the edge of the hoodoo's peak, Jack sat, eyes closed, breath slow and steady. Gradually, the outer world faded in his perceptions, and the Great Wheel turned, the sun set and rose, and he was in the midst of a sea of green grass, clad in his familiar gi and geta, but without the sacred blade.. He walked, and came to the edge of a great lake; steps on mossy stones took him to raft, and he poled out across the water, into the rising sun and onto the Sea of Stars. He poled his raft through the clouds, and was again on the lake, but this time approaching a house, tall but narrow. He stopped at the edge of its porch, where a small man with long earlobes waited. The man glowed blue, the aura fading as they entered the house. "Are you lost?"

Jack hesitated, then said softly, "Yes."

"Good," said the man, his voice satisfied. "Come make tea."

.oO()Oo.

Far away, a former bounty hunter scuttled along on many tentacles. He didn't like thinking about how he'd managed to get them, but hey. You did what you had to. Finally, "Yeah, baby, I really made it! Woo!" he exulted at the edge of crater that currently held Aku's fortress. Time to really pick up the pace! He scrambled down the crater's edge, and, "Wait!~ What is that up ahead? Aku!? What a welcome! Aku, baby, I'm back! Scaramouche has returned!" He scuttled up to his much-missed boss, and exclaimed in disbelief at the fibreglass figure with the speaker grille in its mouth.

"Hello! You are now hearing the voice of AKU!" came the decidedly tinny sound. "Unfortunately, I will no longer be available for any more. appointments. I'm sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused you. Now GO!"

Scaramouche scowled ferociously at that. "Oh, no baby! I did not come all this way for nothing!" and with that he began scuttling up the wall of the fortress. Seemed tentacles could be useful.

.oO()Oo.

In the house, Jack sat seiza upon the tatami. The implements were already present, and he began the cha-no-yu, every movement careful and precise, the silence absolute save for the faint sounds made by the implements and by the pouring of the water and the stirring of the tea.

.oO()Oo.

Aji spotted the figure first, a mere speck, barely perceptible in the shadows of the desert's rock formations. Over their comms, she alerted her sisters, and they watched the figure's approach. Nobody would catch them off-guard. Just before the figure was close enough to identify, it disappeared into the once place they could not see: the overhung path up the hoodoo.

.oO()Oo.

The man in the saffron robes, who gave an impression of age and wisdom despite his smooth, round face took the tea, and sipped it. "This tea is terrible," he said.

"Really?" Jack asked, surprised but somehow not disappointed.

"Yes, yes. Quite terrible," the man confirmed. "It has all the correct ingredients, but lacks the most important aspect: balance. I see why your path to the sword remains clouded."

"This isn't the path?" Jack half-whined in bafflement. "I don't understand! Then you must show me the way!"

"I cannot," he said, and set down the cup. "It is not for me to show you your path."

.oO()Oo.

Inside the fortress, Scaramouche made his way to the very edge of the Pit of Hate itself. "Aku!" he called down.

His master's voice echoed up, thick with both apathy and disgust. "Go away! Didn't you heard the recording, leave me alone!"

The robot leaned over a bit further. "Oh but Aku-ka-choo, I got some info on Jack-O that's out of this world, babe!"

With a tired groan, Aku rose, a towering figure of living shadow and flame. "WHAAAT?" he demanded.

"Feast your ears on this, I mean, do you you even have ears? Can those antler things of your even hear?"

"GET ON WITH IT!" Aku yelled, pulling Scaramouche's wandering mind back on track.

"Dig this, boss: Jack-o has lost his sword-o," he gloated.

Aku's eyes opened wide. He pressed down with a reconfigured antler on his minion's head. "Are you sure?" he boomed, slightly less loudly than before.

"Check for yourself, boss!" the robot hissed in a strangled voice.

Aku made an unzipping motion over the wall, and a scrying portal appeared, showing Jack in meditation. The Shogun of Sorrow looked over the area, then turned to glare a at Scaramouche. "He has not lost his sword!"

Scaramouche, thinking quickly, said in the same strangled voice, "Are you sure that's his sword, Boss? take a good look!"

His master did indeed take a closer look. It looked the same, the scabbard, the hilt, the guard… wait. That wasn't the right guard! He released Scaramouche, and grinned hugely. "WHAT JOY!" he boomed out, turned his eye beams on Scaramouche, restoring his proper body, and both villains danced with delight.

.oO()Oo.

He appeared, an oversized, distorted red devil of Jack. "That's fortune cookie nonsense. He knows where it is, he just won't tell you!"

"Please," Jack said, "you must tell me."

"That is something you must earn," said the sage, unperturbed.

"Earn?" he snarled, growing and shifting, distorted and immense. "After everything we've done, everything we've been through? The death, the loss, the suffering? Who are you to deny what is rightfully ours!?" He drew back his hand to strike the old man, and Jack grasped his wrist.

"Enough. We have lost the sword because of you," Jack told the apparition.

"I have kept us alive!" he screamed. "He is the one who has taken it from us, he knows where it is," he stage-whispered in fury.

"No. I have let you consume me for far too long," Jack said.

"You're in my way!" he roared, and struck at Jack.

Jack rocked back and rolled upright. "You are in our way. Just look at the girls! Since we made our agreement, they have done nothing but learn, and adapt, and do good in the world. But you have never ceased urging their deaths!"

"You're a fool!" the giant screamed.

"You have blinded us with rage and frustration. But now I can see," Jack said, eyes shining with golden light. The red devil in that moment simply… ceased.

"Now, you are balanced," said the old man, and Jack found himself floating in space. somehow standing steadily upon nothing. Before, three enormous figures, whom he recognized from both his travels and personal experience as Ra, Odin and Rama. Awestruck, he simply gaped at the figures.

"Like your father," said Odin in a voice deep and resonant, powerful yet gentle, "you have been chosen to stop a force of ultimate evil."

"You are worthy," said Rama in a similar voice, though higher and with a different accent. Golden beams shone forth from the gods' eye, and Jack screamed as they struck him. His geta and gi gave way to armour of deep purple trimmed in gold, his beard and long hair replaced by a topknot. Above, the sword appeared, and he reached up, taking hold of the hilt as it descended. A flash of blue light, and his eyes opened.

.oO()Oo.

Still on full alert, the girls kept watching in all directions. The figure could have been a diversion. Then they saw the distinctive peak and horns rising up. When the mask came into view, Ashi gasped softly. "Mother!"

The girl's fear both pleased and in some obscure way pained the High Priestess. "I have followed you, seeking answers to a question."

"Have you found it?" Ari asked.

"No. But I have heard much of your exploits. Know, my daughters, that I am pleased with you and proud. And I am not angry that you travel with the samurai, who is clearly a great teacher. But how did it come to pass?"

To their astonishment, their mother sounded entirely sincere in all she had said. Aki spoke first. "All that we told you at Night's Ebb was true. But there was a thing we did not tell you, for fear of your anger." She took several deep breaths to calm herself. "After the battle in the temple, when he broke my mask, it is true we could not find the samurai's trail. He found us, and used abilities we did not know he had and weapons we had never seen or even imagined to capture us. We were helpless, Mother, tied to trees and stripped of our masks and headpieces, and he gave us a choice: travel with him in peace, or get our throats cut."

"Death is failure," the High Priestess said.

"We agreed that we would not act against him unless and until he harmed Aku's creation, beyond what was necessary for his survival and ours, and so far he hasn't done that. And as you say, he's a great teacher."

The High Priestess nodded to that. "But he is still our mortal enemy, and he is vulnerable, lost in meditation. Now is the perfect opportunity: complete your mission, fulfill the purpose for which you were born!"

"No," Ashi said firmly. "We have made a promise, and will not be foresworn. Not even to the samurai."

Their mother nodded. "I understand. But your duty to our Lord Father must come before all else. Before friendship, before your promises to others, before your lives or mine."

Ashi's mask frowned slightly. "Your life, Mother?"

She nodded solemnly. "If you do not fulfill your purpose, I will. It is quite possible the samurai will rouse himself, and the fight will be my last. But I will fight to that last."

Adi shuddered at that statement. She knew their mother would sacrifice herself to end the samurai, but hoped to avoid that. She made no move to act on her mother's command, nor did the others.

"Your faith is weak," sneered the masked woman. Faster that the untrained eye could follow, she shed her robe, produced her bow, nocked an arrow, drew and fired, and almost before the arrow left the bow, Aki snatched the high shot from the air.

She landed lightly. "We will not be foresworn, Mother. Not even by you," and she vanished the arrow. Then they all turned to face the green flame that appeared upon the hoodoo's top, and the very instant they recognized the figure, prostrated themselves.

"Greetings!" said the figure in his great voice. He hadn't expected to find worshippers, but he was not about to complain. Then he sniffed. "There's something here… something familiar. I smell," and he sniffed twice more, "me. But… there's more of me than just me. How can that be?"

"If you permit, my lord?" the High Priestess asked, her voice soft and for the first time the Daughters could remember, deferential.

"Yes, yes," said the Deliverer of Darkness. "Explain this if you can."

The High Priestess did not stand, only sat up. "It began nearly twenty years ago, my Lord, when you appeared before your most devout worshippers, myself and my followers. Your followers, my Lord."

Aku smiled. "Yes, I remember that. You and your congregation managed to raise enough power in prayer and sacrifice to summon me. Such a thing had never happened before, and has not happened since. I filled your sacred chalice with a bit of my essence that the Daughters of Aku might have a fit object of worship to grace your altar."

The High Priestess nodded. "Yes, my Lord. You honoured us above all your followers. A year and more passed, and upon the Long Night, which we count as the highest of all holy days, I took your wondrous gift, and drank of it. It burned all the way down, and I grew feverish and weak."

He smirked. "No surprise. The essence of a god is not a thing for mortals to trifle with. How did it not kill you?"

The remembered pain and fear thickened her voice behind her neutral mask. "It nearly did. But I embraced it, made it a part of me, and so gained some mastery of it, enough to survive the experience. I took much of it, and forced it into my womb, my Lord, and so became pregnant. In the fullness of time, I was delivered of these seven girls, the true Daughters of Aku."

He gaped at her, and at them. "Truly, you are my most good and faithful servant. Complete for me a single task, and you will reign at my side forever."

The High Priestess rose then. "Kill the samurai? With joy, my Lord!" she said, and again produced an arrow, nocked and fired.

The Daughters were reeling from the revelation. They were Aku's actual daughters? He really was their sire? It couldn't be, but the two sounded so certain. And it explained so much, their speed and quickness, and most of all their strength, far beyond any ordinary girl their size. But the idea was horrible, revolting, nauseating. No, it couldn't be… but it had to be, and their masks twisted to echo their distress. And so their reactions were just barely too slow to stop their mother's shaft.

Barely before the shaft touched, Jack flung himself aside and rolled upright as he drew his sacred sword. He quickly took in the scene. "Aku! Why are you here, and who is this woman?"

Aku grinned wide. "A little birdie told me…"

Scaramouche stepped out from behind a standing stone. "That Samurai Jack has lost the one thing in the entire universe that can destroy Aku!" And the robot and the demon laughed uproariously until Aku finally noticed the subtle but distinctive blueness of Jack's blade.

He charged Aku, sword high. "Your information is out of date," he exulted. This was too good a chance to miss! But Aku suddenly flowed into a four-winged serpent and took off, rising high.

"I know better than to close with that sword!" he said, and circled above the rest. "My beloved bride, my darling daughters, my most favoured assassin, kill him!"

Scaramouche grinned. "You got it, babe," he said as he pulled out his flute. There was plenty of rubble to work with, and as he played, it rose.

The High Priestess turned to Aku. "They refuse to fight him, my Lord; they have made a pact with him, and will not break it." But she had produced her knife, and clearly had no difficulty with fighting Jack.

Aku frowned. "I can change that. But just to be sure, I will bring out the best in you, and our daughters. And the best part of you is… me!" His eyes glowed white, and while Jack was busy dealing with Scaramouche's rubble, darkness flowed over the others' masks. White circles appeared where their eyes should have been, and flames lit above the blank circles as the women screamed in pain and denial, their sheathing darkness shifting and growing until they they were enormous, attenuated parodies of woman-shaped shadows, the High Priestess' knife grown to match her new size and sheathed in deep red charged, and Jack found himself hard-pressed to keep up with their strikes, and very, very glad of his new armour, which withstood many of the girls' blows. Not entirely, for it was still flexible, but bruises were better than punctures and lacerations. He focussed mostly on the High Priestess, and with effort managed to cut her a bit. She screamed, and the darkness flowed away from her mask momentarily.

An idea sprang to his mind, and he turned on the girls, nicking them slightly, and watched as the darkness pulled back from their masks, then before it flowed back, cried out "The Daughters of Aku cannot defeat him!" Under the circumstance, he couldn't tell which girl had the realization, but it didn't really matter.

"B-born in secret…" one of them hissed out. Then the others caught on and continued their introduction from Day of the Gulper.

"R-raised in shadow…"

"They left their mountain home…"

"To fight the ultimate evil."

"We are proud to present…"

"The death-defying…"

"daredevil…" then they cried out in chorus, "DAUGHTERS OF DARKNESS!" and shrank down to their normal size with a cry of triumph and agony.

"Deal with Aku," Ashi said. "We'll handle Mother and the robot," and they produced their weapons.

Scaramouche quickly altered his tune, bringing rubble swirling between himself and the girls with the guns, sweeping at them, knocking them aside, keeping them from getting a bead on him. But the girls fought on toward him, jumped and rolled and dodged. Avi swung her kanabo, knocking chunks of debris back toward the crooner, finally hitting him in one arm, stopping his music momentarily, and giving Adi and Aji clear shots as the rubble fell. There was no way to say which stopped him: the electrical blast frying his motor circuits or the laser pulse through his main power pack. The three turned to see how the rest of the fight was going.

Their sisters were fighting hard, but the thing that had been their mother pressed them hard, and the three stared briefly as they watched them dodge and twist in ways a human simply could not match. Avi said over their comms, "We have Aku's powers!" and closed the distance to the melee in a stretched-out handspring. The other two quickly followed her lead, and with this revelation, the battle shifted in tone, no longer a near-unstoppable demon-woman against four mostly human cambions, but seven demons against one. They all flowed, shifted, changed, producing weapons from their malleable forms, all but Ami, who produced her stun gun, taking every good shot she could at their mother.

Jack sprang first to the top of a standing stone, then toward the circling winged serpent. As he'd expected, Aku quickly straightened out and flew off to the east, which gave Jack the opportunity to slice down his length. Aku screamed, fled, and Jack grinned in satisfaction as he landed, turning to take in the situation: the robot down, the girls fighting their mother in a battle of shifting, flowing shadows. Perhaps it would be best not to intervene, he decided, watching the sisters spring and stretch in and out of melee range with their mother. Though neither side seemed to actually score a meaningful hit, the High Priestess suddenly just fell over.

The girls rushed to the monster that had been their mother, placing their hands on her, willing their darkness to extend, to push hers back, force it away. As she began to stir, Aki spoke.

Within the darkness, the High Priestess' true self screamed silently, futilely trying to reject her god. But her lifelong faith worked against her, for she knew deep in her heart that Aku was far more powerful than she. She could not overcome him, and so had lost before she even tried to fight. She struggled anyway, unable to bear the soul-crushing horror that was contact with her god's heart and mind, but had no hope of victory. Then something changed, the darkness enveloping her somehow changed, and through it she heard, "Mother, help us, you must push it away, force it back! Deny Aku, force him away! You can do this, we'll help you!" One of her daughters? They had freed themselves? If they could free themselves, then surely she could! A tiny ember of hope grew deep within her, and she continued to fight, pushing her former god away, bit by bit, feeling through their shared darkness faint flickers of her daughters' strength, their will, the qualities she herself had nurtured. As they pushed back the physical darkness, she pushed away the spiritual; as she pushed away the spiritual, they pushed back the physical, until she lay panting in only her normal darksuit.

The girls removed their masks, and Jack his menpo, and as the sun slowly set, the High Priestess rose as gracefully as she could, then fell to her knees, sobbing. She removed and vanished her mask, then looked up at the girls, revealing to them a face very like their own, only older, though how much was hard to tell. "When did you lose your faith?" she asked.

Adi went to one knee. "Months ago, Mother. When we learned who had sent the gulper, and Aku gave no answer to our prayers."

Face tear-streaked, she looked to each of them, and finally asked, "Please… help me. His touch… I felt his heart… I cannot believe," and she broke down again.

Ami took her mother by the elbow, and helped her to stand. "We'll help you."

Jack looked on, astonished at the scene, and touched deeply at their display of compassion and care.

Then the High Priestess walked up to him and prostrated herself before him. "I cannot apologize adequately, samurai. I cannot expect you to forgive me. What will you have of me?"

He looked down, then after a moment spoke. "Your daughters agreed to travel in peace with me so long as I did not give them just cause to do otherwise. I will give you the same offer: travel with us in peace, and we will travel in peace with you."

She did not rise. "Thank you, samurai. I accept your offer."

The girls went over to Jack, and their mother, and Jack looked to the setting sun. "We will stay here tonight. Before first light, we will begin our next journey. Now, there is one important question: where do you sleep, High Priestess?"

The girls removed their masks. "She can sleep with us. We have questions for her, and no doubt she has some for us. And if she breaks her word, we can keep her in line long enough to stun her again."

She shuddered at the hardness in their voices, but had to admit to herself that they were right not to trust her. She watched in amazement as their yurt unfolded itself from its normal block, then entered first, her daughters watching her carefully as they followed. She lay down away from the entrance, and watched as the girls piled together, not quite sure how she felt about that. After a time, she spoke into the dark silence. "You have questions for me?"

"Yes," Ashi said. "One, really: did you ever love us?"

She sighed heavily. "I must ask your indulgence so I can answer that question fully."

"Go ahead," Ashi encouraged.

Emboldened, she took a deep breath to help calm herself. "When you were born… no. I saw only tools for my Lor… no. For Aku, and for my ambitions. As you grew, and grew strong and skilled, I grew proud, but no, I did not love you. When you returned on Night's Ebb, I was immensely proud and pleased, but still did not love you. During my travels, as I learned more of your exploits, I grew prouder and more pleased, and I thought I had come to love you, but… no. But when you helped me push him away, helped to free me, yes. I have come to love you. So far as I can love anyone," she admitted.

Ashi smiled. It felt amazingly good to know that her mother loved her, at least a little. "You have questions for us?"

"Yes. You lost your faith long ago. How did you continue? I… oh, it hurts so. Aku, when he took over, I…" and she broke down sobbing again, albeit quietly.

"We know," Ari agreed, her voice soft. "We knew Aku was evil, but that… brr. Horrible," she said with a convulsive, almost liquid shudder.

"We did lose our faith," Adi said, splitting from the pile to rest a hand on her mother's shoulder. "But it was a slow thing, reading about the samurai, and about Aku, trying to reconcile them, praying for guidance and strength and going unanswered, and finally, the gulper, when the fishermen told us it was from Aku. We didn't have our faith shattered in an instant like you did. And of course, we had each other and the samurai to help get through our crisis."

"There are other gods," Avi said from where she lay among her sisters. "And other forms of worship. Tomorrow, we'll show you our faith."

"I… would like that," she admitted. But it was a long time before she slept.


	49. Hope and Pain

Came the morn, the Daughters rose from their pile, and woke her with a gentle shake of the shoulders. "It's time to go. The sun is still down, it's still cool. We'll travel until it's too hot to keep going, then camp until it's cool enough to start again."

She rose to her feet, and donned her mask. She watched as her children pulled on leather suits, then took from their saddlebags some provisions. They offered her some, but she declined, producing her own food. Once the meal was done, "You spoke of your new faith?"

Adi smiled, and opened the tent flap. "Come outside." When she did, the others followed, and Adi set down the Eedyk block. "This represents the universe. Crystalline, amorphous, symmetrical and asymmetrical, smooth and rough, dull and glossy. We do not worship it; we meditate upon it."

The once-Priestess looked upon the crystal block and the object within it, consisting of a triangle with a crystal at its tip, the tip in the hollow where a disc was cut out from a larger disc, off-centre, the disc smooth and the triangle textured. She looked to them, "You meditate upon it? That is all?"

Adi nodded. "There are no prayers, no offerings. No chants or songs, no bowing before it. I think we've got more good from daily meditation on this than all our years of praying to Aku."

"I agree," Ari added. "When I was able to reach the empty stillness before Temple's idol, it was cold, dark, almost hostile. Before this, it is warm, light, even welcoming. Please, Mother, join us. And remove your mask? You don't need it any more."

She reached up, and removed her mask and headdress, having not even realized she'd donned them. When the girls settled into half-lotus, she did the same, and gradually entered into a meditative state. The empty stillness did not come, but she felt her turmoil ease somewhat. Little enough, but what she could get, she'd take and be glad of it. The eight rose, and she asked the needed question. "Who do I ride with? I obtained a vehicle, but it is far away, if it's still there."

"You will ride with me," Jack said, voice raised to cover the distance between them. "The girls' bikes are too small for passengers."

She nodded, visibly reluctant, then carefully did as instructed: she straddled the pillion and took hold of the grip bar, then watched as the others donned bright white cloaks. One that was done, the eight drove down, and Jack took over navigation.

.oO()Oo.

As they crossed the desert, the High Priestess drank copiously at every rest. Jack and her daughters also drank, but their cloaks helped them keep cool; her Temple garb was the worst possible attire for the desert. She continued sleeping with her daughters, and meditated with them, but largely held apart. Outwardly, her only change was than she no longer wore her mask and headpiece, but inwardly, that was a different thing. All through the first day of their journey, she had to fight the urge to simply simply pull her knife and be done with the samurai. She knew him for a good man, she'd seen the evidence in his gentle actions toward her daughters and heard the tales and testimonies of enough others. Yet she still had to fight down the urge to strike at him, despite or perhaps because of the knowledge that any such act could only end badly for her.

That night in the yurt, she spoke into the darkness. "Daughters, what did you do when you lost your faith?"

From her place among her sisters, Ashi answered into the shadows. "Our first act was to apologize to the Samurai for the wrongs we had done him, for the evil we had thought of him, and for our folly in worshipping the false god Aku." Her voice caught and hitched in recollection of the event. "But you already did that. And the next thing we did was to split up, explore the city we were living in then, learn more about the greater world. You're travelling with us, so that's covered. And we found a new faith, which we'll share with you. So, I'd say it's just time and travel now."

Ami agreed. "We'll help you, Mother. You did raise us to do good in the world. Even if your idea of good was… off."

The Priestess sank into thought, and again sleep was long in coming.

The next day, at Ari's suggestion, Jack showed the High Priestess the cha-no-yu during their first rest; like her daughters, she learned it almost as quickly as she was shown it. During their second rest, they performed the ceremony again, in the yurt, and as she conducted the ritual, the High Priestess felt the closeness between the girls, and the samurai, and knew it had no room for her. Yet she found herself wishing, hoping, that one day, it might.

As the air cooled on the third night, they parked inside a strange metal building, and the priestess looked about. "What is this place?"

"A prison," Ashi told her. "For criminals of other worlds. It crashed here, and one prisoner was freed. It killed the crew and the other prisoners, but with a special weapon, we were able to kill it."

"It is an excellent shelter now," Jack said. "Come, let us show you," and they carefully guided her first to the clothes cleaner, for her robe was more than slightly travel stained. Once Jack showed her how to use it, she put her conventional clothing in as well, then they went on to the cafeteria they had used on their last visit, pointing out which foods were and were not fit to eat. As they ate, they talked a bit, and Jack asked, "You wear the same sort of darksuit as your daughters. Is that normal for your followers?"

She shook her head. "Only I, my daughters, my assistant Ayano and enforcer Rika, and their trainers wear - or wore - them. I immersed myself not long after their birth; Rika and their trainers did so years before. Only the most devout choose to do so."

"We were not devout!" Adi shouted. "We were children! We could barely walk! And you pushed us into a pit of hot tar!"

The priestess looked down, and her answer was filled with shame. "Yes, I did. I truly believed it was for the best. For you, for me, for our then Lord. But for what little comfort it may be, know that I suffered just as you. And have your suits not been of great benefit to you?"

They looked to each other, and Aki reluctantly said, "Yes. But you were still wrong to force us into that pit!"

"Yes," she admitted. "I was. When we return to the Temple, I will make it law that no-one is to be forced into the pit."

"Return to the Temple?" Aki blurted out, eyes wide. "Why?"

"Because," the Priestess explained calmly, "we must. I must give that law so that other children will not be treated as you were."

"Other… children?" Ami asked, voice small.

"Yes," her mother answered. "Did you ever wonder where the sisters came from?" They shook their heads. "Every so often, prior to your birth, the younger women went out into the forest, and approached young men travelling alone. They drank special potions that ensure they only bore daughters. I was born in the temple, just as you were. So was my mother, and all the women of the temple. Except for Rika; she came to the Temple on her own. She's an offworlder, and will bear a daughter in a few years. Her species is composed only of women."

"Mother, what happened to our grandmother?" Ashi asked.

That prompted a sigh. "My mother was the High Priestess before me. That's not usual; the office isn't hereditary. She bore me late in her life, and appointed me on the Long Night when I was only a little older than you. Then she gave herself to the fire, a living sacrifice to Aku." For the first time, she showed clear, deep sadness, voice and face. The girls just shivered at the tale.

Aji spoke up. "So, the sisters were getting children this spring? And you're worried they might treat them as you treated us?"

She nodded. "The Temple is a hard place to grow up, though we were especially hard on you, because of your parentage and your purpose. Only the very greatest warriors could ever hope to best the Samurai."

The girls all looked down, shamefaced. "We were not that great," Aki admitted. "If my mask hadn't fallen apart when he broke it, we'd all be dead by now," she said.

Their mother finally spoke. "I… will not dispute that. I have come to see that our training methods were profoundly flawed."

"I will agree," Jack said. "But you underestimate yourselves, girls. In my fight with Aki, it was indeed only luck that kept her alive, and me. Either of us could have died that day. And if Aki had died…"

"There would have no way for you to merely capture us. Our second meeting would have been death for us, you, or both."

"Mother," Ashi asked, "how are children normally raised in the Temple?"

"Like you, they are trained in fighting, and in athletics, and the praising of Aku. Unlike you, they are not excluded from meals with the sisters, and they are trained in the tending of the forest. Their physical training is less rigorous than yours, because they are not meant to fight the Samurai, and of course are only normal women, not the actual daughters of Aku. The most devout are trained to read and write and keep accounts. They will live all their lives in the Temple and its forest." She sounded quite accepting of that; naturally enough, since she had been raised the same way. "Bonds are discouraged as distractions from the worship and praise of our Lord, as is physical pleasure. That is a part of the reason for our clothing and our masks."

it made a horrid sort of sense, Jack thought, and yet something bothered him, beyond the obvious. "Why do you teach reading and writing only to the most devout? You are a very small group, why not teach all your children?"

The High Priestess sighed. "Reading is a sacred mystery; only the most devout can learn it. Clearly one can retain that knowledge after losing one's faith, but why waste time and effort trying to teach those who cannot learn?"

Jack gave her a baffled look. "That is not at all true. I myself have seen and learned writing systems that predate Aku, and know how how to read and write and do sums. Devout belief in Aku is not at all needed."

Aji nodded. "The people who taught us to read would teach any who came to them."

"The followers of Eedyk are all fully literate, at a level I'm not even near," Adi added. "And they don't even believe in Aku's divinity."

At that revelation, the woman put her face in her hands, and groaned deeply as she considered her raising of her daughters in the light of her shattering insight into Aku's true nature. "I have been such a fool. Oh, my daughters, I have no right to call myself your mother."

Jack nodded solemnly to her. "From all they have told me, you have been a terrible mother. That they thought to save you when you were helpless, and a great danger to them, speaks extremely well of them, and of how well they have learned the lessons of care and compassion."

She looked down at her plate. "I am not worthy of their love. Or their forgiveness."

Aki agreed. "But if you can master those lessons, you will be. And we'll help you." She watched, baffled, as her mother broke down crying.

At their next night rest, Ashi looked from their pile to their mother. "Mother, if we had died on our mission, would you have mourned us?"

"Perhaps," she answered. "If you had completed your mission, no. I would have rejoiced in your success, and in the certainty that your souls would bask forever in the glory of our Lord. If you had died without completing your mission… yes. I think I would have mourned you, for you would have been cast out, to wander the Earth forever."

"You… sound like you believe that, Mother," Adi said slowly.

"I… I did. It is so hard, I have believed in Aku all my life, and though… " and she broke down again. Ami and Adi disentangled themselves, and lay down beside her, holding her gently. For the Priestess, sleep was long in coming.


	50. Displays and Discoveries

For the next two days, the High Priestess was barely responsive, locked into her own thoughts as the group crossed the desert, finally arriving at the oasis-city from which they'd begun separately.

"First," Ashi said to her mother after they found a parking garage with enough spots together for their bikes, and the girls stowed their helmets and leathers, "you need a bike. I know riding pillion is hard on you, and on Jack." The samurai nodded. "And then, you'll need a white cloak. We have more desert to cross."

Ari sat back against her bike. "You're going to need almost everything. I'm amazed you managed to catch up to us with nothing but your knife, bow and darksuit. How did you even get across the desert?"

The priestess actually smiled. "I travelled mostly at night, I'm a very good hunter, and I drank the blood from my kills, and water as I found it. And I suspect that the remains of Aku's essence helped," she admitted, reluctantly. "But yes, it was… demanding. I am not at all sure, had it come down to that, I could have re-crossed the desert even if I had bested the Samurai. And you."

Jack and the girls looked to each other, then to the High Priestess. "You are a woman of great dedication. If you can learn a new purpose, you will surely do great good in the world."

The group started off, and began with the purchase of a motorcycle, a series-electric hybrid like their own, larger than her daughters', but sleeker than Jack's tourer. She chose a black racing suit and helmet, with the same features as her daughters', then they went through various other stores, loading the saddlebags with the essentials for proper travelling. All of them had travelled with far less, and none wanted to do so again if they had a choice. That night, they rented cheap rooms, and in the morning, after a breakfast from various street vendors, they set off. Soon, they were out of the desert entirely, travelling through hot, wet forests, and when lunchtime came, the Daughters shed their leathers, and so did their mother, and Jack turned bright red, then turned his back to them.

"Jack, what's… " Ashi started to ask, then trailed off. "Where are our darksuits!?" she shrieked, looking between herself, her sisters and her mother, who were doing the same, jaws fallen open and eyes wide. Ari quickly dropped into half-lotus, and focussed on her breathing, turned her focus inward. As the others watched, her breathing slowed, became shallow and erratic, showing her achievement of the empty stillness, and slowly, the accustomed shadow appeared upon her skin, first in blotches then a smooth, even coat up to her neck. The others followed suit, and soon were coated again in their living darkness. But when they stood up and relaxed, their darkness flowed away again, leaving them in what amounted to shorts and bandeaus. At least it was still present!

"Jack," Ashi finally said, "you can turn around."

He did, and smiled. "Much better. What happened?"

It was the High Priestess who answered that. "I think it was a consequence of Aku bringing out our full power. Our suits are composed of a quasi-living magical darkness, which has become more a part of us now. I presume that as we grew hot, it withdrew to help us keep cool."

Jack nodded to that; he'd stowed most of his armour that morning. "If you do not mind a somewhat personal question," he began, and the the girls shook their heads and their mother shrugged, "Your… lack of hair is a consequence of the bonding process, then?"

She nodded. "I presume so. I certainly never removed my body hair before my immersion, and it would be impossible to do so afterward; our darksuits cannot be removed, at least not by any means I know."

Aji looked to Jack. "When you saw our darksuits had pulled inside us, why did you turn away?"

Fortunately, he'd had time to compose himself. "I am sure you know that under most circumstances it is considered improper to show certain areas of the body. It is also considered improper to observe such displays. So I turned away to maintain propriety and respect."

The girls and their mother nodded. "Thank you, Jack," Ashi said. "If this happens again, intentionally or not, we won't be upset if you look." There was exactly nothing flirtatious in her tone or body language, in any of theirs, including their mother's.

After they all sat, they shared out some of their provisions, eating slowly. "Priestess," Jack asked, "how is it that there were no other children in your temple when your daughters were growing up?"

"We only have new children every fifteen to twenty years, and I became pregnant shortly before the youngest would have normally gone out. We put all our resources into raising these girls, into training and teaching and educating them. It was our best chance to serve, truly serve and aid, our lord Aku, as I thought of him then. Now, the youngest of the sisters are almost beyond the age of children. We took a terrible risk, Samurai, gambled the very existence of our temple on their success, and now, I'm not sure if I should hope there's a new generation to learn new ways, or there is none to learn old."

Her answer left an uncomfortable silence until Ashi spoke. "Mother, why did you come on this journey? I don't think it was just to check on us."

She shook her head, downcast. "It was not. I sought the answer to a question, and have not yet found it."

"What is your question?" Jack asked.

"I wanted to know why Aki lived. Why you spared her." She finally raised her head to look at him. "I am not sad that she lives, and never was. How could I be sad that my children, my god's children, live and thrive? How could any mother, any priestess, however cold her heart? But… why? She was a deadly threat, you had no reason to act so."

Jack smiled a bit. "As I told your daughters, I have never killed a person. I have killed monsters, I have destroyed robots, but I have never killed a person, and have no wish to start. From their speed and strength, I thought them robots until I broke Aki's mask, and that changed my goals. I hoped to learn of their origins, and when I did, sought to show them the truth of the world. A truth you have now seen as well, though I think you would have been happier to learn it as your daughters did."

She made no reply for a long while. "I… I see. Samurai, I begin to see that I was a greater fool than I thought myself after Aku took control of me. Will you… will you let me travel with you, attempt to earn forgiveness?"

"Of course," he answered gently, and the Daughters chorussed, "We will."

Back on the road, around their campfire their next night, the High Priestess donned her Temple garb. "Daughters," she said in the chilling tone they knew far too well, "you have lessons to learn." And the girls vanished their regular clothes, donned their own masks and headpieces, and followed. A short distance away, she spoke again. "It is time for you to learn the full power of your darksuits. There were techniques I chose to hold back. Now watch," and she drew her knife from behind herself, then pushed it into her right arm, then drew it out of her left. "Anything you store in your darkness can be removed from any other point on its surface." Then she held up her hands, and her fingers lengthened into claws. "You can extend your darkness slightly, shape it into small tools and weapons. Yes, our once-lord Aku awakened greater power within us, but when we face him again, he could strip us of that same power. So you must fully master your darksuits, for we will need every weapon we have."

Jack, watching from a discreet distance, nodded to that. The High Priestess' tale of her daughters' conception had been extremely disturbing, but in this, she was entirely correct. He continued to observe, watching the Daughters struggle with the new techniques. He'd had his share of harsh instructors, and was not worried for the girls. His concern was for the High Priestess, whom he feared might return to her dark ways, a short fall at best. She'd already shown herself disturbingly willing, even eager, to resort to lethal force. Apostate she might be, but reformed was another matter, and if she crossed from "harsh" to "cruel," he would intervene.

The journey went on, with the High Priestess teaching her daughters how to use their darksuits more efficiently and effectively, in addition to the normal training and practice all of them undertook, and as they sat around the fire one night, the Priestess finally asked, "Where are we going? It has been… interesting, travelling the lands and doing what we can to help." Particularly needing to curb her tendency to drastic solutions. "But we have some other goal, do we not?"

Jack nodded. "We are going to my friend's castle in the Highlands." And the Priestess turned positively grey. "This is a problem for you?"

She told the others what had happened at the castle. "I doubt I'd be welcomed."

Aji smiled. "You will be. If we introduce you, and if it's obvious you're not an Aku worshipper. You have more ordinary clothes, don't you?"

She nodded and stood up, produced and donned her ordinary clothing, then withdrew her darksuit. "Will this do?"

Jack forced himself to remain composed. "It is… perhaps a bit minimal."

Ashi nodded at that. "We need to get you to a clothing store. That outfit looks great, but it needs something under it that's not your darksuit."

After a few moments' consideration, the High Priestess nodded in understanding. "Very well. Tomorrow, I will obtain something to wear beneath it."

The something proved surprisingly hard for her decide on. So many possibilities! But with the aid of several shopgirls, she managed to settle on one. The odd metallic blue garment completely exposed her legs, arms, back, sides and most of her upper chest, but she was assured that combined with the top and belt, and a pair of close-fitting mid-calf boots of similar colour and texture to her top, it was not merely acceptable, but quite attractive and flattering.

The Daughters also took the opportunity to acquire new tops in their favoured colours, still sleeveless and short, but suitable for wearing without their darksuits under them, and Jack a shaving kit now that his beard was gone. They spent a few days in the town, exploring and learning it, and most importantly, teaching the High Priestess how to actually live in a city. In some ways, her Temple upbringing had left her well-equipped for this, accustomed to controlled movements and confined spaces, but in many others, she needed a lot of help. Oh, my daughters, she thought in wonder, you taught yourselves all of this. Such amazing women you've become.

As they sat around their campfire the next night, she asked about something she'd only realized earlier that day. "When you came to the temple at Night's Ebb, you had already lost your faith, yes?"

"Yes," Aki admitted, her speech slow.

"Then everything you did was a deception?"

"Yes," she admitted. "I hope you're not angry."

"Angry?" she said, tone light. "I am delighted!" and her face lit in a bright smile, the first they'd seen on her. "Such cunning, such cleverness and dedication! I am so proud!"

The girls looked as if someone had smacked them in the backs of their heads with boards. They slept poorly that night.


	51. Fair Dealing

They were driving through fields of crops and of grasses when Jack spoke over their comms. "Today is Midsummer Day. It would be good for us to join the festival, I think."

The women did not immediately answer. Then Ashi spoke. "We should pull over. I think we need to talk." And they did, drawing their bikes up in a loose grouping on the broad shoulder, and removing their helmets.

It was the Priestess who first spoke. "In the Temple, this is the Brief Night, a time of mourning, prayer and fasting, when we pray fervently and give offerings to strengthen Aku that he might make the nights long once more." Her daughters nodded. "Celebrating it seems… strange. It is the way of things here, and yes, I have turned from Aku, but many of your ways are as strange and disorienting to us as the Temple's ways would be to you." The girls nodded to that.

"We've had months in the greater world," Aki said. "Our first Solstice was wonderful, but… you remember what we told you about the Long Night ceremonies," and Jack confirmed that. "We have no idea how to celebrate Midsummer. Honestly, we're still having trouble with idea of celebrating holy days, there are no celebrations in the Temple."

The Priestess looked down and away. "We have our ceremonies, our high holy days of Night's Rise, Night's Ebb, Brief Night, and Long Night is the highest of our holy days. But we have no celebrations: our holy days are times of more than normally extensive prayers and services, of offerings both material and abstract. We must look to you for guidance in this."

Jack smiled. "It is not hard. Midsummer is a time of joy, a time to take pleasure in the good things of life. There will be games of chance, games of skill, at which I do not doubt you will excel, feasts and dances and music. Though I think we should head deep into the forest to make our camp tonight."

Ashi frowned slightly. "Why?"

"I do not wish spend coin for lodgings, and in this area, as the sun grows low on this day, the younger people pair off, and go into the woods to do the things which lead to babies. It would be very rude to be close enough to watch them." And the girls nodded in understanding. Their mother actually blushed a little.

"So, what should we wear?" Aki asked.

"Your normal clothing," he said. "And withdraw your darksuits."

They nodded to that, and donned their regular clothes before they withdrew their sheathes. Then Ashi manifested a glove, and drew from it a number of coins, passing them around to her mother and sisters before she put some into her front pockets, and withdrew her darkness again. "We'll need some spending money." Jack smiled, and they went to enjoy the festival.

The High Priestess split off first, feeling out of place and awkward among the others. She simply took the first path to the left, then the first to the left, and found herself overlooking an archery contest. She manifested a long glove, then drew out her bow and quiver before withdrawing the glove and going down to join. She paid her entry fee, and with no track record was placed first among the novices, mostly children. Three shots each, and the novices were ranked. Three shots and she was raised to the next rank.

Apprentices shot from a greater range, and among them, she was again raised, to journeyman. They fired at greater range, and again she was raised. Finally, she was ranked among the master archers, who shot at smaller targets. The shots began, the half-dozen whittled down to only two: herself and a fellow slightly shorter, with a thin moustache, a beard restricted to his chin, and hair level with his jaw.

Clad in brown and green, he was clearly a strong fellow, as a bowman had to be. After two draws, he looked to the officials. "The target's a deal too close! Can we have it removed to a fit distance for real archers?" And he smirked at her. "When I win, I'll claim the golden target. And a kiss from my lovely opponent."

"Such a bold claim!" she said with a mocking laugh. "I'll put you over my knee, boy."

He replied with a jaunty grin, then fired at the target. Dead in the gold. Ten points. Another gold, another ten. A blue, eight more. The woman would need three golds to win, and that, he was sure, would not happen. He was right: the round was a draw, and the official declared the arrows would be removed, returned, and they would proceed to sudden death: the first to land a shot outside the gold lost. The Priestess shot first, then the man, gold and gold each time. The gold was starting to get crowed. The man saw her hit the gold dead-centre, an impossible shot to best. Unless… He drew, aimed carefully, released, and watched the arrow fly straight and true, right for the black arrow's nock, and glance off. His shaft then spent its energy in ricochets and grazes before falling to the ground. The woman in the metallic clothing collected her arrows, then the prize, and walked away. He wasn't sure how to feel about that: on the one hand, he hadn't been spanked. On the other, he hadn't been spanked.

The High Priestess smiled in pride as she went to collect her prize from the young woman in the extremely short dress. That worthy presented her with the miniature golden copy of the target, then hesitated.

"Um… usually, I give the winner a kiss," she said, "but usually the winner's a guy. Do you want one?"

The Priestess considered briefly, then shook her head. "But thank you for the offer," and she went on her way. She needed to get something to eat; surely they'd have some normal food somewhere.

Avi was the second to split off, along with Aki and Ami. So many things to see, to try, to try to comprehend. What in the world was a photo booth? Booth was a word she knew, but photo? And the sellers of goods were equally baffling, to her and her sisters alike. Some were clear, like the cheap jewelry, but others, like the weird little spinners, seemed of no use whatsoever. They eventually came to an area with larger challenge setups, and found her eyes drawn to a tall shaft with a bell at the top. She watched, and quickly determined that this was a strength challenge. She smiled a bit, and after paying her fee, hefted the hammer. Granted, she knew her strength, greater even than Ashi's, came from being only part human, but there were plenty of non-humans trying the challenge. So she swung down with all her might, and the bell rang loud and clear. After collecting her prize, a strange, somewhat man-like plush animal with extremely long arms, almost as tall as herself and far larger, she turned to see what her sisters were up to.

Aki and Ami had waited for her, watching her performance, and smiled a bit at the sight. Then Ami walked over to a challenge that involved walking along a rope ladder stretched almost horizontal, then ringing a bell. She read the rules carefully, paid her fee, and quickly scuttled up the wobbly ladder, rang the bell, and dropped onto the mat below. The many-tentacled thing running the concession waited until she'd chosen her prize, a circular plush toy spaceship slightly wider than her shoulders, then reached out with several limbs to remove her from the play area, his actions slow enough (to her) that she didn't feel threatened, especially since she'd seen it pluck other players out after falling from the ladders.

"Most impressive," it said in a strange voice, somehow breathy and sepulchral at once. "Enjoy your prize," and it waved several tentacles at her.

"Thank you," she answered, and she and Avi went over to Aki, waiting for her turn at a shooting game.

Aki used her time to study the game. It seemed simple enough: point your gun at the targets, hit as many as possible. The more you hit, the faster the targets moved. Frankly, the players before here were awful. Had they never held a gun in their lives? Compared to even the least of the Temple sisters, they were hopeless! Finally, her turn came. The first target was practically stationary, and easily hit, and soon they ramped up their speed and numbers to the point she was actually being challenged. A little, anyway. Soon, a crowd gathered to watch the barely-dressed gun girl in white clear stage after stage, while the booth's proprietor, a creature somewhat resembling a four-legged, four-armed, four-eyed upright oil barrel, gloated. This girl was the best draw he'd ever had, he'd be raking it in after this!

Five minutes later, the targets withdrew, and bells and light went off, along with a recording of "Grand Prize! We have a winner!" The proprietor gestured to the top shelf. "Any prize you wish, young lady," it said in a booming voice. Aki chose a plush of a very, very odd creature indeed. It seemed to have no body at all, only a pointed head with many tentacles, and it was longer than her torso. The three went back on their way, holding their prizes in utter delight.

Ashi, Ari, Adi and Aji remained with Jack as they walked down a row of booths filled with odd contraptions. "Jack," Ashi asked, "what are these for?"

Jack pointed to one with a large vertical wheel. "They are games of chance. Many people find it exciting to take risks on uncertain odds. These games always favour the person running them, but it is possible to win at them, with self-control and some amount of good fortune. For this one, you need only place a small coin on a symbol on this board. The operator spins the wheel, and when it stops, the pointer shows which symbol has won. If that is your symbol, you get back your money, and a bit more. If not, you lose your money."

The sisters nodded. Aji looked at the symbols and the board. "You're much more likely to lose than win, aren't you?" Jack confirmed that, but explained that the payout, if any, was very much larger than the initial bet. The four conversed briefly in that odd language of theirs, then kept walking. A lifetime of learning to throw the odds as heavily in their favour as they could had left them extremely averse to the idea of playing a game they were sure to lose sooner or later. Jack smiled at their decision, and they continued to wander, enjoying the sights, sounds, and sometimes, flavours of the festival. Eventually, the other girls found them, and the High Priestess.

She found Jack with four of her daughters, and after showing them her trophy, they told her of the games of chances and their decision not to play them. "A wise choice, my daughters. I am very pleased," she said, her tone soft and face entirely sincere. Soon, the other three came up to them, and she frowned. "Where and how did you get those… whatever they are?"

Their smiles didn't dim as they told her of the games they'd played to earn them, and Jack explained them to the Priestess. "What will you do with them?" he asked. "We cannot travel with them, and I doubt they would be welcome at your temple." Their mother shook her head and agreed with Jack's assessment. He considered, then smiled. "I have a suggestion. We will leave the festival, find three poor houses, and leave them there to delight the children." That suggestion brought smiles to the girls, and an approving nod from their mother.

The task was depressingly easy to accomplish; Aku's influence might have lessened, but there was still no shortage of poor and downtrodden. But by mid-afternoon, they were back at the festival, visiting stages. The girls asked Jack the Priestess to stay were they were, then suddenly dashed off. A few minutes later, they retuned, and gave the two directions to a stage that sat in deep shadow. Then they vanished again, and the two watched as the little venue slowly filled. Wen it was full, a tall, thin man in a shabby tuxedo stepped out to address the audience. "Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, I am proud to present an act unlikely any other you have seen before. From parts unknown, from darkness and danger, for one performance only, I give you… the Scaredy Cats!" And the curtain went up.

The audience murmured in puzzlement at the sight of an empty stage. Then a voice with no source began. "The Scaredy Cats… hate to fight," it sang, "and the Scaredy Cats… don't like light. But when the sun… goes down today, the Scaredy Cats come out to play." And from seemingly nowhere, all over the stage, seven figures in white masks and black bodysuits stalked on all fours into sight. Seven figures, seven verses, seven "Scaredy Cats" described in rhyme by the other six while the described cat acted according to the verse, a repetition of the opening verse, then at the last word, the "cats" pounced at seven children near the front, children who shrieked and ran in gleeful terror from the vicious monsters, who suddenly vanished into the shadows of the woods beyond the stage.

Only Jack and the Priestess remained, and Jack greeted them with a broad smile. "You learned the song at the theatre?"

Ashi shook her head. "We learned it during our early practice in reading, and set it to a simple tune. Of course, our theatre experience helped with the staging. A lot." Then she looked stricken. "We didn't really scare the children, did we?"

Jack shook his head. "You delighted them. It can be fun to be scared, when you know you are actually safe." They nodded to that, and the little group went back to their tour of the festival, until the sun started going down and they needed to get to the deeper woods.

After they undertook their daily practices, the nine gathered around a small fire. "Samurai," the Priestess asked, "which is nearer, the Temple, or your friend's castle?"

He considered a moment. "Your temple. Why?"

"I think we should go there first. I must speak new law, prepare the sisters for a great change. If we can defeat Aku, the entire faith will need to change. And if we cannot, there are still new laws I must speak."

The girls looked down at that statement. "We'll need to get back in practice, Jack. But we'll do that well away from the camp," Ashi said.

Adi and Ami turned to face their mother. "Are you sure you can do this?" Ami asked gently. "Without… falling back, I mean."

Adi spoke next, voice soft, freighted with worry. "I remember how hard it was for me. We don't want you to return to truly worshipping Him."

The High Priestess looked to them both. "If I did this on my own, I almost certainly would fall back. But with your help, and though I cannot believe I am saying this, the Samurai's, I think I can do it. We need to plan out what we will do when we return, and we must practice that."

The daughters nodded in unison, and Jack frowned deeply. "I cannot argue against this, yet I cannot approve it at all. The girls took a great risk in returning to your temple for even a single night, and this sounds much more difficult, and more dangerous."

The woman smiled. "Not so much as you think. I am still High Priestess, Blessed Mother, Aku's most favoured servant and graced by His direct touch." She stood, and sheathed herself in darkness, crown to sole, her eyes turning to white circles as she grew a foot taller. Then she reverted to her normal self. "I hate that. To draw upon the full power He brought forth is chilling to even my soul. And I once took comfort in the spiritual coldness to be found in meditation before His idol."

Ari agreed. "I was and am the most able at reaching the empty stillness, and I too took comfort in that cold darkness. But the power Aku brought forth, there's nothing comforting about it. It's not something that will tempt any of us, Jack."

He relaxed slightly, but it was still a restless night.


	52. Painful Changes

Under Ashi's navigation, they sped toward the Temple; as the sun lowered the next day, the women took themselves away from the camp, out of Jack's sight, and changed to their Temple garb of masks, headpieces, and in their mother's case, robes.

"You have an idol," Adi did not ask. Her mother nodded, and produced it. It was a simple stone carving of Aku: no bowl, no candles, no paints, not even a base. "We have an altar," Adi said, and produced the base and their image, with the candles, the fire bowl, painted in black and red and green and white.

The Priestess examined it. "You… you blooded the paint?"

Adi nodded. "We had to get every detail right. For days, we practised sunrise and sunset devotions before this. Even forewent our meditations upon the Eedyk."

She nodded her understanding. "And it was worth the effort. Your deception was excellent," she told them, tone gentle and pleased. "And now, mine must be even better. Let us begin with devotions, then practice with our new power. Aku might be able to strip us of that, but he might not."

The girls nodded, and their mother led them in the evening prayer. As she bowed low before the altar, with its three flickering flames, their prayer a droning half-wordless chant, her stomach clenched, and she shuddered convulsively. She sat up quickly. "I… I cannot do this! It… it hurts too much."

The girls looked to each other. "I have an idea," Aji said. "We'll teach you a secular play. Just a short one, but it should be enough to start on. Once you understand performances, you should be able to lead prayers. That was how we were able to perform our devotions at Night's Ebb, we thought of them as performances."

The High Priestess frowned in confused puzzlement. "I do not understand at all. But I will try; this is too important not to make every effort. Let us begin." And so the girls began their mother's introduction to the art of performance, using the one play they had that could be put on without need of staging: Aku's Solstice. Even with night vision gear, they had to stop after the first two scenes to let their mother digest her first lesson. Adi vanished their altar, and the women returned to the yurt, where Adi, Ami and Ari piled with their mother, hoping the warmth and closeness would help to ease her troubled heart as it had helped them.

When the girls settled into place around and over her, the High Priestess tensed up. What were they doing? And why? It couldn't be aggressive, they'd moved so slowly. And yet, strange as it felt, it was not entirely unpleasant. Though she had no idea how to respond, so simply lay still. The girls eventually went to sleep, but the Priestess took longer. Much longer, and as she drifted from deep sleep up to the shallows of dream,  
"TRAITOR!" her former god boomed out, having taken the place of the great idol in the Temple, and she pressed her masked face firmly against the stone floor.  
"Please forgive me, Great Lord Aku!" she pleaded, voice thick and shaking.  
"For your betrayal, there will be punishment!" he yelled as he stretched out an arm, tapped her on the back of the neck, and she was completely paralyzed but fully conscious and aware. "Faithful Daughters of Aku, punish this traitor! Do as you will, so long as you do not mar her beauty with more than bruises, or end her life." And with that, he became again carven stone, and the women off the Temple pulled off her robe and mask, and started scrubbing her with stones to strip away her darksuit. Then the punishments began. The Daughters of Aku were not a merciful congregation.

The next morning, the girls chose not to ask what she had experienced the night before. They knew. Not exactly, but in general. They'd all been there. Jack too chose to respect her privacy, and after a simple breakfast of sausages and potato patties and tea, the women departed the campsite. Again, Adi set out the altar, and again the High Priestess tried and failed to lead the Daughters through their devotions. The eight returned to the camp downcast.

"Let's try the play again," Ari suggested. "We can spend the day here, and we don't need much staging. Mother can take the role of Aku, and we'll be the minions, parents, all of that. Unless… Jack, would you like to take Aku's part? Mother can take a minion's part."

Jack considered that, then recalling the play, smiled. "It seems entirely inappropriate, yet entirely fitting. I will accept the role."

The High Priestess just watched in confusion. "So… which parts do I read?" And Ashi told her, and they began.

By the time the sun was down, the High Priestess was exhausted, not physically, but mentally; plays were not new to her, but this style was so different it was effectively a different art form. To show Aku so… it seemed blasphemous if not heretical. And that itself made her head hurt.

Before she went into her tent, the Samurai approached her. "Do you wish to talk?" and to her own astonishment, she said yes.

"This," she said slowly, "is harder than I could have imagined. My faith, our faith, is strict, and deep-rooted. It has been the centre of my life for as far back as I can remember. To simply abandon all of it, I doubt I can. I need to, I know that, but it is so hard."

He nodded. "Your daughters did it."

She held still, her only reaction a slight flick of the eye toward their yurt. "My daughters are only a third my age, and they are seven, and their lives were always centred on mastering the arts of combat, with their faith in Aku secondary. My life has always been centred on Aku, on his worship and praise, first and foremost, the mastery of combat secondary. To change what I have done, what I have been, all my life, is hard, Samurai, so very hard. I have always believed in Aku, in his goodness, his benevolence, and though the tales I heard in my travels made me doubt your wickedness, they never made me doubt His goodness. Even now… Samurai, I stood naked before my god and he raped me! The one he himself called only moments before his most good and faithful servant! Yet, I still want to believe he is good and benevolent. I touched his heart, felt the searingly cold cruelty that lies at the core of Aku, and even so, I still want to believe and cannot believe. I am no stranger to pain, of the flesh or the spirit. Yet is there for me no balm upon the hill?"

Jack did not answer at first, amazed that she had chosen to open herself so to him. Then he spoke, his words slow and measured. "You have great strength, High Priestess, and continuing with this play will likely help, for the surest way to weaken faith in something is to mock it. It will be hard for you, but I will help as I can, and your daughters as well. Happily, their inherited only their sire's power, not his evil."

Or mine, she thought but did not say. "I will do all I can, Samurai. I would pray for strength, but what god would hear me?" He had no answer, and she withdrew to the yurt, and he to his tent. She would not pray for strength, so he prayed for her.


	53. Darkness to Light

The next day, they resumed work on the play. The High Priestess did her stiff, stilted best, but it was so, so strange, to deliberately portray a thing she knew to be false. And there was the style of performance, so much more elaborate that the Temple plays, the delivery so varied it made her head swim. At lunch, as the nine passed around a bowl of trail mix with diced chicken mixed into it, Ashi looked to her mother. "It's too much. You can't adapt this fast."

Reluctantly, she nodded. "But I must learn this. We must return to the Temple, and I will have to conduct services, and I must be able to project sincere belief."

"Maybe if we try something simpler?" Aki suggested. "We know a lot of secular songs, that might be a good way to start. And we can go back to town to buy some books of tales." Their mother looked baffled, Jack held his expression neutral and composed. "Let's start with… hmm. Yes." She produced from her darkness a black object that vaguely resembled an enormous sausage, then touched it in some way the Priestess didn't quite follow. Then music filled the clearing, and Ashi began to sing. "Jamie Dawson was the captain of the Indus and its crew," and she went on to tell the tale of a space-going ghost ship, her sisters joining in on the first chorus. The Priestess joined in the second, and Jack just enjoyed the performance.

They went through the song again and again, the Priestess' delivery becoming more natural each time, until by near sunset, she asked to take the verses, and did a creditable job of them, then led her daughters away from the camp, and through their devotions. Her performance was unconvincing, but she got through it smoothly. When she rose, she bowed to her daughters. "I know. I still need practice. But it is a good thing that I felt… a little disturbed, but only disturbed?"

Their masks smiled faintly. "Very good," Aki said. "We've been through this, Mother, when we started rehearsing for Night's Ebb. You're doing amazingly well." And the women vanished their masks and headpieces, and their mother her Temple robe.

As she slept among her daughters, taking comfort in their soft warmth of both spirit and body, she twitched and stirred in the shallows of dream. Upon the top of the hoodoo, she stood alone before Aku.  
"Faithless servant!" he bellowed. "You would leave my service? Never!"  
She gathered her courage, such few, small drops as had not vanished upon his speech. "I must! You are not worthy of praise and worship!"  
And he laughed, a horrible, mirthless sound. "Very well! I shall let you leave!" and he shrank down to a human-like form. "You need only best me in combat, and I will not even use my powers!"  
She produced her knife. "So be it! I will best you, demon!"  
But he raised his hand, and made a snatching motion. "I have chosen to forgo my special powers, and so shall you!" She screamed as liquid darkness flowed from her mouth and nose and eyes, Aku pulling from her his essence, leaving her but an ordinary women with a knife, not even her darksuit remaining. She charged anyway, and the result was inevitable. She woke with a stifled scream, and her daughters held her closer until she returned to deeper, restful sleep.

Came the morn, she saw first her bare arm, and immediately struggled into half-lotus, her daughters quickly clearing away from her while she sought the empty stillness. Her nudity troubled them not at all; none of them had ever been trained to body shame. They simply watched in concern, until their mother's darksuit reappeared upon her and she stood. Again, they did not ask; they understood the problem without need.

On their camp stove, Jack had cooked a meal he considered normal, but to the girls still seemed a bit weird: pancakes and syrup, with fruit juice. They ate with good appetite, and their mother as well, then it was time for more practices in the art of performing. Jack took no part in her instruction, only in the performance of Aku.

By the time they broke for lunch, the High Priestess had improved greatly. Though still stilted and stiff, her performance was much closer to naturalistic, and her daughters gave her pointers and suggestions for further improvement. By the time the sun was dropping, she'd gone further along than any of them had expected, but the devotions still made her stomach clench.

The next few days fell into a simple pattern: a new song each morning, combat and athletics and darksuit practices in the afternoon, and acting practices in the evening, usually followed by a poor night's sleep for the Priestess, even with her daughters' comforting presence. Away from the camp, the women practiced their devotions each sunrise and sunset, until at last the Priestess could lead a convincing service. That evening, she waited until the girls were in the yurt before she turned to Jack. "Samurai, I… " She sighed heavily. "We are ready to move out again. The girls and I will continue to practice our devotions away from camp."

He nodded to her. "I appreciate that. You do know this is a terrible plan?"

She looked down. "I know. Sadly, it is the least bad plan I can find. I am still High Priestess of the Daughters of Aku, and that imposes responsibilities I cannot ignore."

"I understand that. Perhaps you would like some tea?"

She looked to the campfire, nearly out. "Yes, please." They sat near it, sipping at their cups. No ceremony, just the sharing of tea. "It occurs to me that in some ways, we are similar."

He raised a brow. "How so?" he asked in a tone of puzzled inquiry.

She poured a bit more tea into her cup. "We are both ascetics at base, we both greatly value composure and self-control, we are both mighty fighters, and we have both dedicated our lives to causes greater than ourselves."

Jack sipped, and considered her words. "All true. But there are also great differences. I travelled the world in my training; until recently, you have never been beyond your temple's forests. You have sought only to serve Aku; my task is to destroy him. I have no children, but have always sought to treat others' with kindness and care. You have seven daughters." He did not continue.

The Priestess looked down at the fire. "I know. It is fortunate my training of them was so limited and faulty, but that does nothing to lessen the wrong I did them. I deserve no forgiveness."

"That is true," he agreed. "For now."

"I only hope that when this is done, I will find a balm upon the hill."

An interval passed, the silence neither companionable nor overly awkward. "Priestess, there is something that puzzles me about your… about the Daughters of Aku: why is a cloistered order so skilled in battle?"

A heavy sigh. "We train for the Last Battle, when the most faithful shall be called upon. And we… they… are indeed the most faithful and devout." Jack did not dispute the claim. "Who will take watch first?"

"I think, you." And she nodded in agreement, then with a great leap, disappeared into the canopy.

The Temple was a short trip away, only two days on their bikes, and they parked a half-hour's drive from the main entrance, then set up camp. The girls systematically divested themselves of everything but their masks and initial weaponry and a small coin pouch each, and the High Priestess of everything but her initial clothing and weapons and what coin she retained from her initial funds. "Before we start," Ashi said, seeing the deep anxiety on their mother's face. "I know a song that night help." She fetched what the High Priestess had since learned was called a portable player, and the sound of many sorts of drums filled the clearing.

The song was simple, the lyrics idealistic, even naive, but the Priestess and then Jack joined in; "take strength from those who need you" especially resonated with them both: the High Priestess' responsibility to her congregation, Jack's to those who suffered under Aku's tyranny. At the end, the Priestess smiled, even to Jack. "My thanks, daughters, and to you, Samurai. I only hope that one day, I will be worthy of the help you have given."

Then, the women began the walk, arriving just a little before the sunset service began. The guards immediately ushered them into the torchlit interior, comforting and familiar, unsettling and nerve-straining, all at once as they'd expected.

"High Priestess!" Ayano gasped, holding out her staff. "Blessed Daughters!" and she bowed deeply to them all, as did the congregation.

The girls kept their faces still behind their masks, and they could not tell about their mother, but the seven took places among the congregation, in the front rank of course, while their mother reclaimed her staff of office then led the sunset devotions. After, she climbed the steps to stand before the offering stone, then turned to the congregation. "Daughters of Aku! In my travels, more has happened than I could have ever dared hope. For I not only found the Daughters of our Lord alive and thriving, but I beheld Aku Himself!" The congregation buzzed with whispers of amazement, and some doubt, as she had expected. "It is so. And more, He saw fit to give me, and His daughters, His special blessing, bringing forth the full measure of the power that is ours from Him through His Essence." And she grew from her already statuesque six feet tall to a full eight feet, a white-eyed featureless demon-woman, then shrank down moments later. She waited for the sisters to recover their composure before she spoke again.

"The Last Battle draws near, Daughters of Aku, and so I must speak new law. The first of these is that none are to enter the Pit of Darkness who have not already attained adulthood. The second is that daily prayers are cut from eight to four: sunset, midnight, sunrise and noon. The time formerly spent in the other daytime prayers will be spent in the forests, practicing and honing our battle skills in that more varied environment." Another wave of murmurs swept across the congregation.

"Then Lord Aku will slay the Samurai?" asked one of the Daughters.

"I do not know. The Revelation to Akiko says 'then there appeared a man of many lands, who entered into the dwelling of Aku, and they did battle, and the Faithful with them. And when this battle was done, I beheld that the old Law that made the old world was gone before a new Law, and that this was good.' Akiko does not say that Aku triumphs, only that after the Last Battle there will be new Law in place of old.

"There is more: Ayano will teach reading, writing and sums to all of you, so that you can teach your daughters when they are of age. Our belief that only the most devout can learn these mysteries, I have learned was a mistake." More murmuring, but no dissent. "There will be many other changes, after the Last Battle, and I myself will return once more to lead you in that confrontation. For now, train as I have said. Allow no intrusion upon our forests, but hold back from killing intruders who do not seek your death. Let them flee, and spread word of our actions."

"Will you be long with us, High Priestess?" Ayano asked.

"No," she said. "There is too much I must still learn from the greater world, too much we eight must do to prepare. I will lead the midnight and sunrise prayers, then depart after leading the midday services. You will lead in my absence."

"Yes, High Priestess," Ayano said, and bowed. She had to think about how to teach the others, and the High Priestess began to inspect the temple.

She rendezvoused with her daughters shortly before midnight, in the cavern that held the enormous lake in which they had first learned to swim. "I think we can do this," she said quietly. "The service went well, and I think the sisters are accepting of the new laws."

The masked girls nodded. "We've heard the sisters talking about your revelation, and a lot of them are worried, but it's all about things like whether they'll survive to the Last Battle, what will happen after that; none of them doubt your standing with our Lord Father."

The High Priestess nodded. "Good. Now, we must return to the Hall of Worship." And having so done she led the midnight service.

The High Priestess nodded. "Good. Now, we must return to the Hall of Worship." And having so done she led the midnight service before retiring to her chamber. The droning chant from the Hall of Worship was, like ether Temple itself, comfortably familiar, yet disturbing and stressful. Did her daughters feel the same way? She doubted it; they seemed to have resolved any conflicts they felt over the worship of Aku, and she envied them that. To pray before the great idol, to bow and pledge herself, to be once again in His service, she yearned, for it, burned for it, ached and longed for it, even as the thought turned her stomach with remembrance. Though she slept the night without dreams, her slumber was not peaceful, and in their own nearby cells, Ayano and Rika wondered what their leader's whimpers might portend.

The sunrise service went smoothly, then breakfast. "Daughters of Aku," the High Priestess said to the assembly, "this morning, we train in the forest. You will take up your preferred weapons, and contest with myself, and the true Daughters of Aku. We will not kill you, or even injure more than we must, for though our training must be strict, the Last Battle will be soon, before a year has passed, and we cannot afford to have anyone killed, or down from such things as broken limbs. And remember the Law as it is already writ: those of you who are with child, from the time your babes are three months along until three months after their birth, you will not join the fighting practice. We must protect the new generation, for it is they who will grow up with the new world and the new Law."

One of the congregation spoke as the women stood. "High Priestess, what of your children's mission? Have they killed the Samurai?"

Ashi took the question. "We have not. Yet our performance has been better than anyone else who has gone against him, for all others abandoned their pursuit after single meeting, if they survived at all. We have faced him four times, and though he has eluded us each time, we have not abandoned our pursuit. And in our travels, we have served Aku well and faithfully: we have battled criminals, slain monsters, protected the helpless and freed the oppressed, learned new ways and new weapons. And now, we have returned to start you on your way to mastering these new ways."

That sparked a great deal of murmured discussion, which did not abate until they came out into the forest, and their trainers split them into groups. "Your first lesson from us," Ashi said after donning her mask, "is this: to aid and support each other." She and Aki demonstrated against Aji, Ami, Avi and Ari, with commentary from Adi. "When you do this, you are five times as effective and ten times as safe. Now, let us begin," and the congregation attacked.

After the noon service, the High Priestess and her daughters departed, resuming their mission. Ayano watched them leave, then once they were well away, sent the sisters to their daily sweeping and cleaning, then turned to Rika. "I think there's something important she's not telling us. But we'll follow her instructions… for now." The brute nodded, but said nothing.


	54. Hope of the Hopeless

Back at camp, Jack's night was unrestful as he worried over the girls, and more over the High Priestess. She had said herself this would be difficult; could she actually take up her station once more, even briefly, and not fall? Could her girls give her enough support? When the morning came, he resolved to do what he could to remind her of the good things of the greater world, and so after breakfast, he were hunting, first for clay, then for mushrooms, berries and nuts, then after sealing the edibles in his tent to keep squirrels and other small animals from them, went hunting for game, his stun gun turned down to the lowest level, where it would kill only animals of the size he sought.

Silent from decades of practice, he drifted through the forest, noting the sounds of the birds, searching for prints and spoor until he smiled at one particular set of tracks. Perfect. He followed them, careful and cautious, until he found the source: a creature with grey-green fur, thick tail and heavy head, and strangely short front limbs. A petty tyrant, one of the few predatory animals that was also good to eat, and at this time of year, it was clearly male; a female would have its young nearby. A quick shot from the nearly silent stun gun and it fell over, dead from the excess energy, and not long after, Jack was back at the camp, busily shaving off the fur from its hide, careful to remove every last bit she could. Then he began a fire, and his other tasks: the carrying away of the entrails, the chopping up of the edible organs and the mushrooms and nuts earlier gathered, and finally the stuffing and sewing up of the carcass prior to its packing in thick clay. He sealed the clay carefully, and laid the stuffed carcass upon the coals, adding more wood over it, creating layers of burning wood and coals that entirely covered the impending dinner, his work done and cleaned only a little before his companions' return. They nodded to him, but no more, and they vanished their masks and the Priestess her robe almost before Adi had set up the Eedyk block.

The High Priestess sank slowly into the empty stillness, letting the light and warmth lap gently at the edges of her spirit, though it would be long and long before those waves could wash away the darkness at her core, the shadows that were her soul. Memories rose unbidden: the awe and wonder she had felt when Aku Himself had graced the temple, the reverent… love was not the right word. Adoration. Yes, the adoration she had felt when she drank His Essence. The long stretches of fever and chills until she managed to control the spicule of His power. The pain of her daughters' birth. The awe and wonder she had felt at his second — second! — appearance before her. And the searing cold with which he had filled her so she could better fight the Samurai, and her traitorous offspring. Though she did not move, though her face was still and calm, she began to weep.

The girls too had reached the empty stillness, and let the warmth and light fill them. There was darkness at their core as surely as it was at their mother's, and they all felt it, stronger now that Aku had touched them. Even Ari found that disturbing, and she had no doubt her sisters felt it even more. Perhaps one day their mother might no longer have His darkness in her heart, but theirs was a part of them. They'd just have to find a way to live with it; still, they'd helped each other through their crisis of faith after the Gulper, and this was simply another crisis of faith. Wasn't it?

Jack watched them, and the surroundings, and the fire. Had their mission failed in some way? he wondered as their meditations grew long, and the fire burned down. It was well into twilight before they rose, and Adi vanished the block. Finally, they turned to him and bowed.

"Please forgive our discourtesy," the High Priestess said. "Our… no. My return to the Temple was a greater temptation that I had expected."

Aki spoke next. "It was… after what Aku did to us, being back there was harder than we expected. But we succeeded: Mother led the devotions and spoke new law, the sisters accepted it."

"The Last Battle draws nigh," the Priestess explained. "I have laid the groundwork for the great change that will follow it; the Daughters of Aku will become, I hope, a force for good in the land."

Ashi looked to the pile of wood, now little more than ashes. "What's this?" she asked.

Jack smiled. "Something I am sure you will like. Break out your mess kits; it is ready by now." And after they had done so, he broke the hardened clay with a rock, then peeled it away. A tantalizing aroma rose, and even the High Priestess looked interested. "This is a whole, stuffed petty tyrant, cooked in its own skin. The skin is quite inedible, but peels away with the clay. Please, each of you, cut a large slice of the meat. I will open the belly and serve out the stuffing."

Stuffing? Ashi wondered but did not ask. She sliced off a large portion from over the ribs, and saw what stuffing was. The nine all settled around the fire's remains, and enjoyed the meal, then, to the others' astonishment, the High Priestess raised her voice in song. "We are a family, I fight for them, and they fight for me," and the rest joined in, even Jack, though he did not consider himself "family" to any of them. The Priestess looked down when the song was done. "I should not have done that; I've no right to sing such things."

"I'll agree," Ashi said softly. "But you're making progress with the law you spoke. Keep this up, and you'll have that right."

"What law is this?" Jack asked, and the High Priestess told him. "Wise. Whichever side they choose, they will need the practice and rest."

"I just hope they take ours," Aki said. "They're nothing against us, but they're more than equal to anyone we've met since. I'd put the least of the Daughters of Aku against a dozen mob goons and expect corpses. And not the Daughter's." The others nodded to that.

"Their primary trainers were the strongest fighters we had, other than my daughters of course, but they were the strongest, not the only," the High Priestess confirmed. "Even the least of the Daughters now living is at least equal to the greatest I met in my travels."

Jack repressed a shudder at how casually they spoke of the deaths the cultists could inflict, and the girls had inflicted.

The the High Priestess spoke again. "Let me retract that slightly. I did meet some fighters that would match or exceed them: those enormous redheads in the highlands."

Jack smiled. "Yes, his girls are very formidable." And the girls nodded in agreement. The meal done, Jack carried the remains well away from the camp, returning to find the fire thoroughly out and the women gone, presumably into their yurt, and he chose to go to his tent.

Inside the yurt, the girls and their mother sat in a circle. "Mother," asked Adi, "do you want to pile with us tonight? We won't pretend to understand how you feel, but we'll give you what comfort we can."

The others nodded. "We've been where you are, and helped each other through it. Let us help you now," Ari said.

The Priestess looked at her daughters. Such kindness, such caring. It had to be the Samurai's influence; it was certainly not from her. She began again to weep, but smiled as well. "Oh, my darling daughters, nothing could please me more." I do not deserve them, she thought. I only hope that one day, they will be proved right to believe in me. And so, the eight piled together; to an outsider, the yurt's floor would have seemed uncomfortably hard at best, but to the former servants of Aku, it was perfect, and soon enough, they drifted down through the shallows of dream and into the depths of sleep.

The next day at sunrise, the women gathered before the Eedyk block while Jack attended to breakfast, mostly the remains of the petty tyrant made into a simple stew; they passed the pot around, taking spoonfuls in turn until the stew was gone, then washed the pot in a nearby stream. They cleaned up their campsite, a simple matter and quick. then went on their way toward the Highlands.


	55. Point Defence

A narrow road, barely large enough for a lane each way, wound through the mountains; the women drove with weapons ready, and Jack prepared to draw his stun gun at any moment.

Above the road, men in tough pants, heavy boots and ragged sleeveless shirts waited. A radio squawk, and one set up and carefully adjusted a rocket launcher. "We're going to be so rich," he gloated. One shot, eight bounties. And with a little luck, a prime piece for the offworld markets. He watched the bikes come around the corner, and fired. The rocket flew fast, straight, and… What in the name of Aku!? Some kind of big red light beam blew it up way too early, and the men dropped the launcher and ran.

It was Aki who spotted the roaring hiss' source first, and without intending it, acting on an instinct she hadn't known she possessed, she launched a bright red beam from her eyes, a beam that shattered her helmet's faceplate and annihilated the rocket. All nine stopped at the side of the road and sprang for the cliffs; Jack leapt, nimble despite his armour, the girls and their mother very quickly shed their gloves and boots to race straight up the cliffs like so many spiders. The men were long gone by the time they scaled the fifteen metres, but to expert trackers, the marks of their hurried passage were clear as signposts. Their attackers would not get away. Jack and the Priestess were slow compared to the streak of leather-clad lightning who sprang from trunk to trunk, but they were still far faster than the men they pursued, catching up when they were barely out of the trees. Five men, five biker babes to pin them to the ground. The last two sisters, Avi and Ari, squatted down before them while Jack and the Priestess walked up.

"So," Avi said to them, "do you know what we are?" Their leader, or at least the heavily build man who seemed in charge, shook his head. "We're the Daughters of Aku. The real Daughters of Aku, His children, born of His essence and birthed by His High Priestess. So… ask yourselves, would you rather deal with us, or our father?"

He looked at the girls, it was crazy, but he'd seen that beam. His eyes darted between them, white showing all around. "You! You!" he said, and his men nodded frantically.

"You have any skills that don't revolve around hurting people? Use them. We'll be back this way, and if we hear that you've gone back to this…" He dropped his eyes, and Ari nodded to her sisters, who let the men stand up. "Now get out of our sight!" They got.

Jack smiled. "Excellent. You didn't even need to hurt them." And they followed the men's trail back to the fire base, where they took possession of the launcher, and three more rockets. And the posters of themselves. "It seems Boss Chang is still annoyed with you," he told them, his tone light. "Good." And with that, they returned to the bikes; Jack stowed the launcher on the bike's right, and the rockets in the left saddlebag before they drove off, reaching the next town early enough for Aki to get a new faceplate for her helmet. After finding lodgings, no small task for an apparent family of nine, and purchasing dinner, they gathered around their suite's dining table to enjoy the meal. About halfway through, Jack finally asked the question they'd all been thinking. "Aki, when did discover your optic blasts?"

She smiled as she cleared her mouth. "When I shot down the rocket. We inherited more of Aku's power than just shape-changing." She turned to face the High Priestess. "When we practice tomorrow, maybe you should try it. We need to know everything we can do." She nodded, though it pained her to consider using her former Lord's "gifts." Sadly, they were right; perhaps she had trained them a bit too well in pragmatism.

After some light practice in a nearby parking lot, they returned to their two bedroom suite. Nine people, four beds. Ami volunteered to share with their mother, then Ashi. As the rest of the sisters paired off, Jack looked increasingly uncomfortable. Finally, only Avi was not paired off. She smiled. "We've slept together before, remember? The lean-to, your sleeping closet. And a bed is even nicer than a wood floor."

She was right, he realized. If she did not object to the arrangement, why should he? He had no untoward designs on her, and so he smiled gently. "That is true. Very well, we will share a bed." As they slid down between the sheets, she pressed up against his back, seeming entirely entirely unaware of the effect this could have on a man. Strange girls indeed, equal parts innocent and worldly, coldly ruthless and amazingly gentle and caring. Eventually, he sank into much-needed restful slumber.

After enjoying the breakfast that came with the suite, they headed on toward the coast, taking a break for practice as they passed through a deep forest. Jack collected some rocks, not large enough to do more than bruise, and flung them at Aki one by one, until she could describe the sensation of firing her optic blasts. Then the others practiced until they could do the same; even the High Priestess, to her great surprise, learned she too had that power. All afternoon they practiced and trained with this new ability, and after a session with Ashi, Ari and Ami, Jack turned to the Priestess and turned away, blushing hard. "Where is your… why are you… ?"

"Samurai," she answered, "you are a man who shows others great respect, and greatly values propriety, and those are fine qualities. But our darksuits are drawn from Aku's realm. If he were to strip us of them in the middle of our battle with him, you would be distracted and put off-balance, as you just were. Can you afford that risk?"

He breathed slowly, and very gradually calmed himself. "I… no. I could not afford that risk." He slowly turned around, and saw to his relief that the Priestess was again sheathed in darkness. "Thank you."

"You are welcome," she said. "This sort of vanishing of our darksuits will happen, from one or another of us, without warning, until you can stop flinching away. I do not like this, but it is needful."

Jack sighed heavily. "If you do not feel it… shameful, very well."

The girls looked completely baffled. "Shameful? Why?" Aki asked.

"Remember, Samurai, they have worn their darksuits since they were less than three years old, and that was all they wore until the last winter. Why would they have learned body-shame? And how?"

He had no answer. "And you?"

She actually smiled a little. "My travels forced me to consider the question, and I decided that nudity is not shameful in itself. We will refrain from such surprises in the presence of others; that is simply being considerate and polite. To be inconsiderate and impolite without great and strong cause would be shameful."

Jack considered that, then nodded. "Very well." It would be uncomfortable for him, but she made a good point. Aku would not be able to possess them again, he was sure, but they had to plan for every other contingency.

They went on to the coast, where they reclaimed the vessel the Scostman had granted them, and set sail. With nine of them, it seemed a simple thing to travel all the day and night through, until the Priestess showed herself even more susceptible to sea sickness than her daughters. Nothing stayed down, not even water, and when she stepped ashore that night, she swayed visibly for nearly an hour. Even Jack's tea was hard to keep down.

"Daughters," she asked as she lay on her back on the sand, eyes shut, "was this… boating… this hard on you?" Yes, she'd ridden the ferry, but that had been a larger vessel, and a much briefer journey.

"Not quite." Aki said. "But it was hard. Jack thinks it's because we grew up in a cave."

Jack agreed. "With no experience with horizons that move compared to what they stand on, they were very prone to sea sickness. But you will learn to not be sick, I am sure." And the girls echoed his certainty.

By the time they approached the strait, she was not. Yes, she could keep water down, but that was all. And there was more sea travel yet to come, making her want to cry just at the thought. But no help for it, she would have to endure. As they pushed off the first morning past the strait, she said from the deck, "Please. Let us sail day and night. The sooner we are done with the trip, the better I will be."

Ashi looked to her in amazement. "You're sure?"

She slowly nodded. "I can keep water down, it will have to do." And so they set off, the Priestess slowly, so very slowly, improving. By the time they reached the harbour nearest the Scotsman's castle, she could actually keep down real food, like fruit. She wasn't willing to try with bread, it was still too strange to trust. She only needed a few minutes to recover once on land, and the nine set off for the Scotsman's castle. "I hate water travel," the Priestess said. "If I can, I would greatly prefer to avoid it in future."

Jack answered her. "We will likely need to do so once more, on the way to your temple and then to Aku's stronghold." Her answer was a pained moan.

She walked her bike carefully off the ship, and was very pleased when the others waited patiently until the ground stopped swaying. Once it did, she removed her leathers and helmet, her gloves and boots, from the bike's saddlebags, then withdrew her darkness before donning her gear, deliberately drawing out the process. She knew the Samurai found the sight both enticing and uncomfortable, but in truth, that was not her main reason. She was trying to accustom herself to doing this, so if worst came to worst, as it had in her dream, she would not suffer from an off-putting embarrassment. Her own words came back to her: Any mistake is certain death, and death is our failure. Yes, in her mind she knew this exposure to be needful and acceptable, but her heart and gut were of other opinions. Once she settled her helmet in place and lowered the visor, she felt far better.

When the Priestess withdrew her darksuit, Jack started to turn away, then stopped himself. She had been right, in battle such a response could be the end of them all. So though it felt so wrong to so act, he forced himself to continue watching. Her form, he had to admit, was quite magnificent, tall and toned and amazingly curvaceous, with lovely, long dark hair. She might have been three times her daughters' age, but she looked no more than three of fours years their senior, at most.

Ashi in particular noticed his mingled expression, though none of them entirely understood it, and resolved to speak with the Scotsman's daughters that night. Once her mother was dressed and mounted, she and Jack took the lead, their mother rear guard, and the rest in pairs between them. Ashi was quite sure nobody would be fool enough to attempt an ambush in the Scotsman's territory.


	56. Hospitality Strains

As the sun was just going down, they stopped just out of sight of the castle to change their clothes. Jack simply removed the plated sections of his armour, while the women shed their leathers, produced their ordinary clothes, withdrew their darksuits, then dressed and puts their helmets back on; with all of that done, they resumed their travels, and just as the sun was on the horizon, reached the castle and the welcoming committee: Fergus, his wife, a bevy of daughters, and a fair few of the men of the castle.

"Who's the beanpole?" demanded his wife. "Some puir clingin' vine missin' its stake? Ah heard yer one for takin' in strays, Jack, but this is ridiculous. Ain't seven lovely lassies enow, ye needed tae find them an older sister?"

Jack dropped the kickstand on his bike, then dismounted and removed his headgear while the women did the same. "This is not their sister in any sense, but their mother." As the greeters came to full battle alert and the women did the same, Jack continued to speak. "Please, she means you and yours no harm. She has had a difficult experience, and seeks to make amends for her wrongdoing. I ask only that you treat her as guest rather than prisoner."

Fergus scowled thunderously, and as his wife drew in a breath to deliver a fresh bout of invective, Verdana seized the initiative. "Girls, ye're the one she's hurt most. What d'ye say?"

Adi answered. "We haven't forgiven her, but we're willing to let her earn it. So far… she's doing a fairly good job."

The Priestess looked down. "I do not deserve forgiveness," she said, her voice thick and slow. "But I still seek, and still hope that one day, I will. Please, let me do what I can. I ask only food and shelter; plain water and fruit and a bare cell are enough."

That got some raised eyebrows, but Jack spoke up quickly, before anyone could explode. "Fruit and game are to her and the girls and her followers as grains and eggs and milk are to most others."

Fergus and his wife both stared at him. "Are ye serious?" she demanded. "What is she, some kind of tree-livin' savage?"

The Priestess drew herself to her full height, face tight and lips thin. "You will not insult me again, you ambulatory flour sack." She turned on the woman a glare that had chilled RIka even from behind a mask; mere size did not trouble the Priestess. "My congregation lives on the products of a very carefully managed forest because our home isn't suited to growing anything else. But fifty people live from only forty acres. Forty very poor acres by most standards. Can your lands boast that, o mighty butterball?" she demanded, and Fergus and his wife and all the rest of the Scots laughed.

"Well, now we know where yer daughters got their fire," he said, slapping his organic thigh. "Ye've got a lot ta answer for, lass, but we'll give ye the chance," and another daughter wheeled him back inside, the rest following and Jack and his party following them. Soon enough, there was a feast going in full swing; the seven sisters joined in with large enthusiasm and small appetite (by local standards), Jack and their mother with greater reserve. The girls joined in the tales after dinner, but not speaking of the battle with Aku. Lazarus 92, the Omen, the Dominator, all those, they told.

Fergus stared. "Now, lassies, ye don't need tae exaggerate. What really happened?"

Ashi looked him straight in the eye. "What we said." And that set off a hubbub.

Fergus turned to Jack. "You sure they're not yer daughters? They sure take after ye!"

He smiled at that. "Quite sure. Especially since I did not meet their mother until a few weeks ago."

Fergus' wife laughed heartily. "Aye, that would make it tricky," and the evening moved on to the songs and boasting contests, and to Fergus' great surprise, three of the girls started a song, then two more took a part with Jack, and the last two with their mother, then all of them for the last line before going into a round, each trio doing three repeats of the first three lines each before they all came together together for the final line.

 _The miser lives for the joy gold gives, and the farmer for his fields._  
 _The lover prays for a pretty face, and the beggar for a meal._  
 _But you and I know our hearts cry for bold adventure's deeds,_  
 _So come along and sing a song, and let's see where it leads._

Fergus gaped a the performance. "I never thought ye had it in ye!" He looked between his friend and his students and their companion. "Ye practiced tha' song, nae?"

Jack smiled to him. "Yes. Secular music was and is an important part of helping the girls' mother learn new ways." The Priestess and her daughters nodded to that, then the boast battles began, each tale taller than the one before, until even Jack and the Priestess were laughing at the absurdities, and finally, it was time for them to head for bed.

The Priestess was shown to a simple room with a thin mat, and looked it over before turning to the girl who'd shown her there. "Thank you," she said. "This will do nicely." She stepped in, closed the door, then turned the lamp down until it burned a deep orange before she extended her darksuit and vanished her conventional clothing. The mat was little enough cushioning, but enough for a woman raised to stone beds. Soon, she drifted off.

.oO()Oo.

In another room, the Daughters were bedding down with some of their host's many daughters; they extended their darksuits before their regular clothing. Maeve watched this, bemusement clear on her face. "Ye said yer darksuit don' come off, aye? So…"

Aki smiled. "They don't; they're a part of us. But we've learned to pull them inside ourselves. Even our mother didn't know that was possible." The other Daughters nodded. "It was just a little after we fought Lazarus 92 that we developed the trick." Then her eyes went wide. "I just realized. Is it all right for us to keep our suits out? Or should we pull them in?"

Maeve opened her mouth, then closed, then opened it again, while the other Scottish girls just watched her imitating a goldfish, and suppressed their laughter with varying degrees of success. "I… ah…" she finally said, "Whichever feels right, I guess. You had 'em out first night, guess it's fine to have 'em out now." The Daughters smiled, thanked her, and joined the giantesses in bed.

The next evening, after meditation and training, after dinner and songs and tales, the High Priestess approached Jack as he was heading to his room. After asking and receiving permission to enter, she sat crossed-legged on the floor, downcast. "I have watched the women of this place, and I must ask: did I do anything right in how I raised my girls?"

Jack considered that question for a while. "Yes. You did three things: you trained them extremely well in the most vital skills of their mission, you taught them good manners, and you trained them to be adaptable and flexible."

She looked up, expression slightly lighter. "Thank you, Samurai. When I look at my girls, and think how I treated them, so much like how Aku treated me, I…" Her face tightened, and she fought down the urge to cry. "It will be a very long time before I can truly call myself their mother."

"Yes," he agreed. "A very long time indeed." Neither said more for a long time.

"Samurai," she finally said, "I… I do not wish to be alone tonight, but I also do not wish to intrude upon the girls."

He took a few moments to understand her. "Ah. I see." He considered further. "Very well," he finally said, and suppressed his urge to turn away when she vanished her darksuit. It was a restless night for them both, even after she extended her darkness once more.

At his advice, she returned to her room very early, then went from there to the main hall, where the kitchen staff had already been busy and the hall was full of the strange and exotic scents of unknown and unfamiliar dishes. And the others filed in, taking places they seemed to know without needing to consider it. But she was not so fortunate, and hoped that taking her place from dinner would be adequate. the lady of the castle didn't seem to glare too much at her decision, so she presumed it to be correct, more or less.

The meal was subdued, compared to dinner, but still uncomfortably raucous, for her and for the Samurai. Yet her daughters seemed able to fit into the setting as smoothly as… well, as smoothly as so many swords into their sheaths. Despite their darksuits, their size, their facial features, they fit here, as perfectly as they had fit at the temple. Perhaps it was all just performance? Had they truly learned so much, changed so much, in so short a time? She stayed quiet throughout the meal, and when the time came for her and the girls to meditate upon the Eedyk, she settled into full lotus, well behind them. She slowed her breathing, stilled her mind, and allowed the Eedyk to fill her vision.

As she rose from her half-lotus, Ashi could not help but notice that for the first time since the hoodoo, her mother was wearing her full regalia without clear need, and started to reach out to her when Aki took her wrist, shaking her head. The took her sister's lead in this, and the seven quietly departed the forest.

The High Priestess noticed but did not regard their departure; her focus was elsewhere. The Eedyk faded, as did the forest, and firelight faded in. She looked about, taking in the rough-walled, stone-floored room with the fireplace. On one side her, on the other, her daughters in their masks and headpieces. "How?" she asked. "How have you changed so?"

They did not answer, not immediately. After an uncomfortable interval, the girls spoke as one, their masks blank. "What are we?"

"My… my tools," she admitted, shamefaced.

"Yes," they answered the same way as before.

She looked longer. They were tools, she realized. Outwardly identical, nearly interchangeable, shaped for a particular purpose. "How?" she asked again.

They removed their masks. "What are we?" they asked again.

She looked down and to the side. "Women," she said, voice low and soft and thick.

"Yes," they answered almost in unison. Almost, but not quite.

"You… saw much. Experienced, changed, learned."

"Yes," again in near unison.

"I… did not allow you to vary, one from the others, more than I could help," she said in the same tone.

"Yes," their unison near perfect but their pitches different.

"I forced you to stay apart, even though it hurt you, both in your hearts and in your fighting prowess." She was staring to weep.

"Yes," and greater differences in pitch.

"And without my opposition, you were able to truly grow, become what you could be."

"Yes," again.

"And I… I did the same with the congregation. As my mother had done, and her mother, and on back to the beginning of our… their… I do not know. To the beginning of the faith." By now she was starting to sob, the weight of her sins pressing down upon her.

"Yes." More emphasis, more divergence in tone.

She leaned forward, hands on mask. "I will never be able to truly do penance for my sins."

"No," and this was almost shouted, but at the same time a strangely harmonious sound, a complex chord, and the fire went out. She found herself in utter darkness, then realized several things: she was in pain, physical pain, and needed to relieve herself, and was hungry. She she unfolded herself, worked out the kinks as best she could, and began to slowly work her way out of the forest. After the third time of nearly walking into a tree, she remembered her mask had been enhanced, and activated its night vision. Then she was able to walk out more smoothly.

.oO()Oo.

In the room they were sharing with several of the Scots girls, the Daughters lay in the comfortable darkness, resting peacefully upon their giant living pillows. "Thank you for being so nice to us," Aki said.

"Ye're welcome," Murdina told her. "Ye really think yer ma can clean up her heart?"

"I want to," Ami answered. "I think we all do." And her sisters affirmed the sentiment without words.

"We lost our faith in Aku over weeks, but hers broke in a moment. We chose to renounce Aku, she was forced to," Ari said from beside Alana. "I know she's a horrible mother and a terrible person… but she's the only mother we've ever had. And we've committed ourselves to opposing evil, how can we not try to help someone trying to redeem herself, especially when she leads the only group that actually believes Aku is a god to be praised?"

"You didn't grow up in the Temple, you can't understand how absolute the Daughters' devotion is," Avi added. "We were only able to renounce Aku because we were allowed to skip some services to further our physical development: we would attend three to five services instead of eight: Sunset, midnight and sunrise, and typically midmorning and afternoon. Not that we understood what those actually were. Night is the time of Aku, and so we were most active then."

"We have to do this, have to help her," Ashi continued. "For our own sakes, for hers, for the Daughters and their children. We can't let their children grow up the way we did. We don't ask you to forgive her, she hasn't earned that, just… let her try." And the Scots girls grumbled, but reluctantly agreed.


	57. Visions and Prophecies

The next morning, the High Priestess astonished everyone when she arrived at breakfast. She wore no darksuit, no triangular top, only her odd blue garment. But more telling by far was her haunted expression, her downcast eyes and slight slump. Gone were the ramrod posture, the cold look, the chilling self-superiority, the confident stride. She sat in silence, ate in silence, excused herself so quietly that Jack barely heard.

Ami too excused herself to follow. Follow, but not intervene. Her mother went deep, deep into the forest, so far it would take until sunset simply to return to the meadows. As Ami watched quietly, her mother removed the blue garment and set a branch atop it, then walked further, finally gathering a handful of berries. Bright red berries, glossy and inviting. Ami's eyes went wide as she recognized the leaf formations on the bush, and shot out her arm to knock her mother's arm to the side even as she screamed out denial.

The High Priestess spun to face her daughter, eyes wide in shock. "You… why?" she asked, brows up and eyes wide in complete bafflement. "Why did you…" She couldn't even say it.

Ami walked slowly toward her, and withdrew her darkness. Then she took her mother in her arms. "Because, mother, we have learned. Learned caring, compassion. We've learned love. And because we promised to help you, and you yourself taught us integrity and commitment."

The High Priestess put her arms around Ami. "I don't have the right to call myself your mother."

Ami smiled. "No, you don't. Not yet. But keep at it, and you will." She looked up, smiling softly. "Please, tell me why you did this? We all promised to help you."

Reluctantly, the Priestess sat, and told her daughter of her vision. "And so, if I could never truly do penance, what was the point of continuing?"

Ami reached and took her hand. "You misread your vision. That final 'no' meant you were wrong. We might not need you, but the Daughters of Aku need you desperately. Priestess Ayano cannot lead them into a new age, only you can do that. You can't die, you need to get them through this. You're still the High Priestess, the Blessed Mother, Twice-Touched, they'll accept changes from you they'd never accept from Ayano, even if she could imagine them."

Though still downcast, the High Priestess had turned thoughtful. It hurt so, and yet… Ami was right. She could not abandon her congregation. "Very well," she said slowly, then looked around. "Can we get back to the castle by nightfall?"

Ami smiled. "Yes, we can. With a little help," and she extended a patch of darkness on her left forearm, producing her mask. "Ami calling Daughters, come in." She repeated the call several times, then, "Mother and I need pickup. Locator on." Then she turned back to her mother, extending her darksuit fully. "You don't have anything but your darksuit, do you."

She shook her head. "It's a basic tenet of the faith that the dead have no need of physical things."

Ami nodded. "And you wanted to die as close to free of Aku's touch as you could."

Her mother nodded. "Yes. I wanted to be found, if I ever was, as a woman, not a solid shadow."

"Go get your suit. Your normal one," Ami said. "Ashi and Avi will be here soon; our bikes are all-terrain, remember?"

The High Priestess smiled a little. "I remember." And she re-donned her garment before she extended her darksuit.

The others arrived in fairly short order, and the two rode pillion behind them, an awkward arrangement but the best that could be managed. Happily, the ride was short, and the passengers dismounted as soon as they were back at the meadow. There the remaining four were waiting, in darksuits and masks. As she looked in bafflement, she heard the seven converse briefly in that strange language they'd created so long ago, before turning to her.

"It's nearly dinner time," Ashi said. "The others are waiting, and I think Jack's actually worried." She and Avi mounted up, and drove off.

Finally, the two made their slow way to the castle, and the main hall, where they managed, with difficulty, to find seats at one of the long table. Ami fitted herself easily into the conversation, but her mother was more reserved, as usual, and slipped away during the tales. Ami followed, and her sisters took it for a cue.

It was in the basements they found her, sitting on a crate, and waited for her to look up. Ashi spoke up when she did. "Ami told us what happened," she said in a soft voice, her expression gentle.

The Priestess looked up. "I… I do not think I should be alone tonight. Or with the Samurai," then lowered her head again.

Again, it was Ami who reached out, knelt and took her hand. "We'll be with you. Show us to your room." When she did, they looked around and nodded. Aji lit the lamp with a match, then turned it down to the point it glowed red-orange like the torches in the temple. The High Priestess checked that the door was locked and the shutters closed, then withdrew her darksuit. Her daughters did the same, and lay down with her, piling lightly against her. And as the night went on, their mother stirred and twitched many times, and they held her a little closer. At last, the eight broke apart and extended their darksuits again. Time for breakfast and training.

After breakfast, Jack and their host were in the war room, planning and plotting. There was a lot of groundwork to lay before the final assault on Aku's tower. "Aku has not moved his tower for for many years, so far as I know. And if he does, he always moves it to a plains, and always makes a crater that destroys everything around it upon its arrival. Again, so far as I know."

"Aye, tha's all true, " his old friend agreed. "An' that great tree-ogre's nae moved 'is tower fer years. So, let's get to't," and he started calling for files and updates.

Over the next several days, Jack and their host planned, the Daughters and the High Priestess trained against the Scots, and very slowly, the Scots came to tentatively accept the High Priestess. Finally the day came to depart, and as they drove toward their first campsite, Jack laid out their itinerary. "We go first to your temple, where you say you have tasks to perform. Then to the city, where I must find a particular someone. She will help us, or rather help you, by helping you get weapons against Aku." They looked to each other, the girls' masks echoing their confusion. "You might be able to hurt him with your powers, but if he should be able to strip them from you?" They nodded in understanding.

"Any mistakes is certain death, and death is our failure," said their mother, and though they shivered in recollection, they nodded to her words. "We must be prepared to fight with only our skills and our weapons; Aku will strip us of all he can, and that could mean the powers he brought out in us, or everything but our darksuits, or everything down to and including those. If he does… my daughters, you will feel slow as syrup and weak as infants. Without the power you derive from simply being his daughters, the Samurai will outmatch you on every level. And outmatch me."

Jack shuddered. If Aku could pull from the girls that essence they had inherited, he doubted they would survive, and even if they did, he suspected their mother was being optimistic. But she was right about one thing. "We have much planning to do."

The sea voyage was, for the High Priestess, less wretched than the one before; she managed to keep down water, and at the insistence of both the Samurai and her daughters, managed to down a few bowls of rice. When they finally debarked, she stopped frequently to spend long minutes just resting against walls, posts and other uprights, letting the world settle, and only walked her bike, not daring to try to ride. Finally, her equilibrium restored, she agreed to move on toward the Temple. There was much to do.

Days later, they were camped at the meadow, a quarter hour's drive from the edge of the Temple's forest, and the women again divested themselves of everything but their original equipment from the Temple before they began walking. Near the edge of the forest, they paused to listen for the sounds of battle, and chose to avoid them, approaching the Temple without announcing themselves until they reached the great door. The sentries came to full alert, spears at the ready, and the High Priestess looked them over. "A sound response. I command you."

"Thank you, High Priestess," said the one on the left. "If you are the High Priestess."

Behind her mask, the High Priestess smiled. They'd realized that she could anyone with the right form and voice, behind her mask. "I am. Would an infiltrator know this song?" and she sang the first verse of one of the lesser songs of praise to Aku.

The woman shook her head slightly. "Very well. You are who you say. But how do we know these girls are your true daughters?" The seven removed their masks; alone among the Daughters of Aku, they had gone bare-faced all their lives, and that was answer enough. The sentries returned to attention. "Welcome back, High Priestess."

The eight went into the worship hall; as alway, a dozen women knelt in prayer before the idol. The High Priestess took her place before the offering stone, and stood until the others filed in from fighting practice. As she had expected, Ayano and Rika were the lest to arrive.

Ayano walked up to her, and the High Priestess asked for her staff back. So far, this was all normal. But Ayano spoke. "And I saw the far traveller go down into the earth, and the false priestess and true priestess contended, and the true priestess vanquished the false." Then she turned to the assembled congregation and raised her voice. "We have heard how she travels with the Samurai, both her and the Sacred Children! I name this one false! And by the Law of the Temple, I challenge her before our Lord Father to the trial of the bridge!"

A murmur ran through the assembled congregation, then Rika spoke, a rare thing. "I will hold the staff of office, and see the contest is honest." And she took the staff. "If both die, I will lead until a new High Priestess is chosen," to which the congregation murmured agreement. "True Daughters of Aku, ready the bridge." And the seven went behind the bowl that held the sacred fire, sliding out a great stone slab, maneuvering it into position for the trial. Others brought the staves with which the women would fight, and when all was in readiness, Rika spoke again. "Ayano challenges her who was Ayaka for leadership of the Daughters of Aku. The victor shall be High Priestess, and decide the fate of the vanquished." The two women took their places, and the brute roared, "Begin!"

The two advanced cautiously to the centre of the span, and Ayano seized the initiative, knowing her only hope was swift, decisive first strike. The High Priestess swept it aside, and the follow-up, barely seeming to notice the strikes. Ayano stepped back, and the High Priestess did not press, allowing her opponent to recover, so far as the heat of the battle site allowed, then resumed her tactic of simply blocking. What was going on? Why was the High Priestess doing this? She could, Ayano knew full well, have ended this in the first few moments. Yet she was holding so far back, not using even the strength and speed that were hers before Aku had blessed her a second time! "Stop mocking me and fight!" the woman demanded, and the High Priestess knocked Ayano's legs out from under her, spilling her from the bridge.

The woman saw her fiery death up close, then something caught her about the middle and she was once again upright on the bridge. "Yet the true priestess spare the false, and I did not understand this at all," she heard. She fell to her knees, and lowered her head in surrender. "Rise," she heard, and she rose. The two walked down to the head of the stairs.

"Ayano, you will remain my assistant, and lead in my absence. If you will swear before our Lord Father that you are loyal to me." There was no need to specify what would happen if she did not, and Ayano so swore.

"You are the True Priestess, and I will follow you without question. For you shall lead us into the new world and the new law," she said, voice low and soft, head bowed.

The High Priestess spoke once more. "You are, I think, beyond the age of children? Or nearly so?" At her subordinate's nod, she continued. "Immerse yourself in the Pit of Darkness. You have shown yourself devout enough to merit it."

Behind her mask, Ayano's face lit, and her entire posture changed. "Gladly, Twice-Blessed!" and she immediately withdrew to do as ordered.

One of the Daughters addressed her. "High Priestess, will there be new law now?"

She shook her head. "There will be no new law until after the Last Battle. At such time as you are needed, I will call upon you. Be ready, for the Last Battle will come before the year's end." And as the assembly began to dissolve into speculation, she tapped the staff against the floor, and began the sunset service, marking the beginning of the day's activities. She watched Ayano, teaching in a repurposed supply room; even Rika had reached a decent level, able to read silently. She probably still moved her lips, but behind the mask, who could tell? The lesson progressed smoothly, she saw, and she led the midnight and sunrise services, watching the fighting practices and offering a few suggestions. "In preparation for the Last Battle, which will most likely take place in the daytime, you will no longer practice combat at night," she said. "Today, you may rest a bit; attend your normal chores, and have combat practices after noon. From now until I say otherwise, there will be no fighting practice in the night. Days are for combat training and study, nights for sleep. And there will be no fighting practice in the caverns; you must learn to fight outside, in the day, under clear skies or cloudy, by sun or by rain. The Last Battle is very nearly upon us, and I will not lose you to inexperience."

That prompted the women to look to each other in confusion. A care for their lives was the last thing they'd expected from their leader. And to upend their entire routine, more active in the day than the night was beyond unexpected. But her words made sense, and none wished to risk Rika's fists. "As you say," Ayano agreed.

The High Priestess remained to help teach teamwork, with her daughters' aid of course, and after the midday service, departed the Temple once more.

Jack again prepared a meal for them, a simple stew made from ingredients gather in the vicinity, and they all sat around the fire as they passed the pot, taking it spoonful by spoonful. "I take it your visit was less difficult?"

"It was… straining, but in a different way," the High Priestess said. "I ordered more changes, and secured my position when Ayano challenged me." She smiled slightly. "This time, I was not so tempted to return to worshipping him."

The girls nodded. "We felt nothing during the services, it was just rote performance. And we helped with the combat training, and the instruction in reading."

Jack smiled gently to them all. "I am very pleased to hear that. Tomorrow, we must go to the city; I have an acquaintance there I need to contact."


	58. Great Small Wonders

The trip to the city by bike was a matter of hours, including a pause at the rest stop; when they actually got there, people paid Jack little mind. But the girls drew waves, smiles, and thanks even after so long an absence, and when their mother asked why they so popular, they drove down to the shore.

Just past the docks, the High Priestess looked out over the beach, her eyes wide and jaw loose at the sight of the immense corpse, by now mostly scavenged, that lay there still. "You.. you killed that!?" she managed to choke out. "How?" And they grinned at her reaction, and told her. Her gaze just kept going between the girls and the corpse. Her heart swelled with pride as their accomplishment slowly sank it. Incredible, even knowing their origin, that they had slain so colossal a thing. Acting on instinct and impulse, she spun to face her girls and stretched her arms long enough to hod them all close at the same time; even the cold that filled her at that couldn't entirely damp her delight in their accomplishment.

As they looked over the sight, a long, low vehicle pulled up, and the nine spun, drawing their weapons. The little man stepped out, preceded and followed by his goons. "Boss Chang," Ashi snarled. "Still smarting over having to pay a fair price, hmm?" While Jack watched the little man, the others scanned the area for more ambushers, Aji sending their locations to her mask's display, then mirroring the result to the others.

Chang smirked. "Nobody, but nobody, gets the best of me without paying for it, and the bill's due." Jack and the girls sprang before he even finished speaking; the High Priestess took on her demonic aspect and lunged at the heavies with speed and reach far beyond the human.

The snipers opened fire, only to find their targets simply not there. But the time in took them to reload and attempt to re-acquire, the targets were already in their faces. Literally. To girls who could dodge machine gun fire, pistols were no threat, and each of the first teams were down in the span of a dozen heartbeats.

On the sidewalk, Jack was suddenly very glad of his new armour, for though he'd be bruised came the morn, he'd rather bruises than holes in his lungs. While the High Priestess held the boss' heavies in her distorted arms, he closed with the little man, who pulled a pistol and tried, to no avail to stop him. A hand on Chang's neck, a knee in his gut, and Jack growled behind his ferociously snarling menpo. "You have doubtless had many legs broken on your behalf. Call off this attack or I break yours. Then I will let the girls decide what to do with you. And that one who even now squeezes the life from your guards? She is their mother. I doubt she will counsel them to gentleness."

Chang swallowed hard. then looked around. "You win," he said, and dropped his pistol. Then he took out a phone, and called a pre-arranged conference number. "Yeah. Stand down. I know what I said and now I'm sayin' stand down! You heard me. Face it, we're out of our league here." Not long after, the girls returned to the sidewalk, and their mother dropped the heavies as she reverted to her normal shape. Boss Chang looked them over. "What in Aku's name are you chicks?" he demanded, looking between them.

Behind her mask, the High Priestess smiled. "I am the High Priestess of the Daughters of Aku. About twenty years ago, He deigned to visit our temple, and to grace us with a portion of His essence," she told the little man, voice soft and reverent. "And from that essence came these girls, His true-born daughters."

Boss Chang looked between them and his face fell. "His… aw, no."

"Oh, yes. And when we met again, He called the girls his darling daughters, and me his beloved bride, and most good and faithful servant," she told him in the same tone as before. "Even now, we travel to His tower. When we arrive, would you like us to speak with Him about this matter?"

The boss swallowed hard. "Never mind." This was going to take some serious spinning to make work and not make him look like a fool.

The High Priestess walked her bike onto the street once more. "Come, my daughters, my faithful friend, let us be on our way." And they drove off quickly. Two blocks away, in one of the pocket parks that dotted the city, they pulled over, removed their headgear, then burst out laughing.

"I almost pity the man," Jack said, grinning wide. "But his expression when he realized just how bad his situation might truly be… I could never had kept a straight face."

The Daughters and the High Priestess nodded, their expressions similar. "None of us could," Ashi assured him. "And that was amazing acting," she said to her mother.

Her smiled faded at that, "It was… distressingly easy to play the part," she admitted, and Ami went to hold her.

"We'll help," she assured her.

Jack let the tender scene go on for a while. "We need to part ways for a bit. The person I seek, I do not think I will able to approach if you are with me. But I am sure you can find ways to pass the time. Let you daughters show you around the city."

"Let's stat with the tourist district," Adi said. "there are many places there I would like to explore, and I think you will enjoy. And there are people who sell many exotic foods," she added. As they mounted their bikes again, the High Priestess commented on how most town foods seemed exotic, and her children agreed. Even after over half a year, town food still seemed strange to them.

Adi led the way to a secondary street, and a building whose front read "Miniature World." "I didn't go in last time," she told the others as they stood at the door. They'd donned their ordinary clothes and withdrawn their darksuits, and the men passing by gave them lingering, admiring looks, to the visible displeasure of the women with the men. The former worshippers of Aku paid this no mind; they simply paid their admission, and entered the building.

The floor was smooth, polished wood, the lighting subdued and the walls dark to better show the exhibits. All eight gasped softly as they looked down at the scene before them: buildings, streets, vehicles, people in odd clothings, signs for (they presumed) foods and drinks they'd never even heard of. An array of carts, holding or being drawn by animals beyond their capacity to imagine, bright colours and intricate designs. They went slowly along, and a story of sorts seemed to emerge. The strange animals and brightly dressed people were shown again, under vast tents with an opening for viewing in the roof. Some of the brightly dressed people swung between bars on ropes, animals pranced and stamped. Further along, structures that turned, like great and elaborate wheels, with tiny people riding upon them. Slowly, slowly, they began to grasp the bizarre sights, the tale being told. It was a simple one, the brightly dressed people and strange animals showed themselves to the town, then did things to entertain and bring pleasure, like the fair they'd been to but far more elaborate. And what were the moving structures, the upright wheel and the laid-down wheels with the little carts on them? They had to go over and over the exhibit many times before they finally understood it, and that was only the first! This was going to be a very long, and very interesting, day.


	59. A Quiet Night

Indeed it was; they went through the next exhibit. And though it, and throughout it, and then gave up and moved on. The rod and spindle shaped objects, the little figures without faces, all hanging in the air before a background sprinkled with tiny lights, all was too strange to understand. The next was easier to grasp by far: a great river running between mountains, on the banks and slopes many temples, strange ones, yes, but clearly temples, for as they went along they saw fighting forces shown coming from them. Clearly the various temples each considered the others schismatics; such struggles were well-attested in the Book of Aku. Others were less clear, but after many passes, comprehensible: they show people travelling across wild lands, felling and moving trees, lives in cities of many sorts, and other scenes so strange they weren't sure if they were real or imaginary, or perhaps both: a giant man captured by normal people, a village in great trees, an enormous temple where the faithful practiced at strange combat arts on horseback, and Aji needed to explain horses to their mother.

Later exhibits took a darker turn, such as one series of scenes that showed people with dark skins, wearing almost nothing, doing things to light-skinned people that made even the lifelong worshippers of Aku feel a bit ill: men and women turning on spits, a butcher shop that sold human meat, a tannery they chose not examine closely. Though one exhibit that made the other patrons shudder and move on quickly made them laugh out loud: someone had tried to imagine what a temple to Aku might be like, and failed completely. The general outlines were more or less right: the idol, the bowing faithful, the offering bowl. But the rest was nothing like the real Temple, and didn't even make sense. The colours, the huge windows with scenes painted on them, the intricate decor and elaborate carving, it was all so wrong and ridiculous!

Finally departing the building, they next sought out food and drink. Looking through the windows of the eateries, they finally found one that truly appealed. They stepped into the vestibule, where they went from street clothes to darksuits, then on into the actual restaurant, where a woman in bright, heavily embroidered clothing greeted them, and after a time, showed them to places around one of the fire pits. As the others already there were doing, they put bits of meat and vegetables on long-handled forks, then held them in the fire; as the food cooked, they and the others began to talk, trading stories. The others didn't believe a word of their claims until they took a good look at the girls and realized just who they actually were. Suddenly the tales of far travels and grand adventures became far more plausible.

Elsewhere, Jack had gone to a certain pub he remembered, and politely asked after Rima. The other patrons weren't able to tell him much, but the waitress did say that she came in two or three times a month, typically. He accepted that, and went to explore the city for a time, then returned at the dinner hour both to look for her and because he was hungry, then that night, once he met with his companions once more, Ashi led them to a high-end hotel, the only sort that could accommodate so large a group in a single suite.

He looked around the elegant room, and sighed heavily. "I… am not comfortable with this," he admitted. "It seems…"

"Excessive," the High Priestess said. "I agree. We need to find more appropriate quarters."

"Tomorrow," Ashi said. "I'm sure we can find a house that will suit us." she looked around the room. "Let's spar. No weapons, no damage to the room or furniture." The others nodded agreement and the session began. It was fairly brief, as even a quiet spar was fairly loud, and the night manager soon came to the door and asked them, politely, to keep the noise down. Jack apologised, then Adi set up the Eedyk block and the women settled in to their meditations.

Jack too settled in to meditation, though he paid the block no attention. His breathing slowed and steadied, then grew irregular as he entered into a state of relaxed concentration, aware without being aware of that awareness. In his peripheral vision, he noticed Ashi's back become bare, a pleasant and unsettling sight that pulled him slightly out of his mindful state. They had warned him they would do that, and he did his best to return to that state. He had just managed it when Avi's darksuit disappeared and Ashi's reappeared. After an uncertain time, they rose from their meditations, and agreed after discussion on who would sleep where: Ashi with Jack in one bed, the High Priestess with Ami and Adi, and the others paired in the other two beds.

Came the morning, the group enjoyed the hotel's buffet breakfast, then went out to find a realtor, following Jack's guidance in this matter. The day went by in the checking out of various houses, and the rejection of them for obvious faults such as missing windows or damaged roofs, until finally, on a large lot on the outskirts of town, they finally found a suitable house, with three bedrooms and four fireplaces, all of them placed against interiors walls. Externally, it was shabby, but the interior was perfectly fine, if plain, with simple wood floors and plain white walls, the kitchen counters a nondescript shade of sandstone, the only genuinely colourful room the bathroom, in light blues and greens, a subtly maritime feel. Jack took a turn in the showers, the others just using the sink to wash their faces and hair, then the women went to the living room and the section of floor between kitchen and dining room, and Jack chose a bedroom in which to sleep.


	60. Spiritual Warfare

When they gathered in the area opposite the kitchen, they looked at each other's haggard, drawn expressions. "Bad dreams?" Aki asked, and the others nodded.

Ami spoke of her dream first, and how she had seen the house furnished, and of killing the others, of the malicious glee she had felt. The rest looked deeply troubled, except their mouth, whose face smoothed out.

At their questioning looks, she smiled a little. "I had that dream too, and feared it was from within me. It is good to know it was sent." She stood smoothly. "Breakfast can wait. Daughters, with me. It is time you learned the other side of your heritage, and we will start with finding sweet grasses." The girls rose, and followed her outside, obedience too ingrained to fight easily, at least in her direct presence, especially when she donned mask and robe. Jack watched with concern, hoping that the Priestess would not lead herself back into darkness, and the girls with her.

"Mother," Avi asked as they walked, "what sent that dream?"

"A dark spirit, something that has tainted the house. As High Priestess, one of my duties is to keep such spirits away from the Temple, or force them out when they come anyway. You needn't look surprised; the Temple is Aku's house, of course we keep pests away." She turned toward a particular patch. "These grasses," she said, "produce a potent smoke, useful in the ceremonies to cast out such things." And she explained how to distinguish them from other grasses, and instructed her daughters in their harvesting. They each took a handful, and made tightly wrapped plaits of them. On the way back, their mother explained the ceremonies and what they each had to do. "You might not need them, your blood and your power might well be enough, but it will do you no harm to know these things," she said when they were much of the way back to the house.

"What do you mean?" Ashi asked.

"You are Aku's true-born daughters, and I have no doubt that gives you great power and authority over the spirits of darkness." Her voice was cold and hard, as they remembered, and that was both fearsome to them, and strangely comforting in its familiarity.

As they entered the house, they spread out, their bundles smouldering, and Jack relaxed a little, recalling similar ceremonies he had witnessed over the years. They they spoke, almost in unison. "In the name of our father, we command you, show yourself! By the power of His blood within us, we command you, come forth!" A shadow with no source fell upon the house, and the light grew faint. Jack put his hand on his sword, but the girls seemed unfazed. "By His name," they droned in a strange, rolling rhythm, "and by our power, we compel you to our presence, we command you and we order: show your face and name your purpose: tell us of your ways and wishes. Come now forth as we command you, come now forth, o darksome spirit!" In their voices, cold and hardness, yielding as the rock they slept on, warm as mountain streams in winter. Three times three they gave the orders, by their right as Aku's children, by the might His essence gave them. As commanded came a vapour, came a foulness from the brickwork that in winter held hearth-fires, and the streams formed claws and faces, striking at the little maidens, at the figures sheathed in darkness.

Yet the Daughters did not fear them, and they struck with fists and courage, forced the streams of smoke together. Ashi spoke unto it, saying "Name you now your place and purpose, tell us of your lusts and longings!"

And the creature ever-changing, trembling in limbs and faces, spoke in hissing, crackling, popping. "Long ago this house was builded, and your father sent me hither, bound me into brick and mortar, that I might bring death and madness. Many here I have tormented, sent them evil dreams and visions, made them flee into the darkness, drove them into darkest evil. I made mothers slay their children, faithful husbands torment spouses." Loathsome list of vile horrors, of the foulest deeds of hatred. Children feasting on their parents, driven mad by endless hunger. Guests who came without departing, hosts who violated duty, torments fit to turn the stomach.

All as one the girls moved swiftly, Ashi with kusarigama bound the spirit in its fetters and her sisters sliced and smashed it, killed with will and faith and courage, with the power of their sire, scattered it in smallest fragments, let no wailing drop escape them. "Even now," their mother told them, "this place is not fit to live in, fouled in every stone and timber. We must cleanse it and must clean it, make a clean and honest dwelling." And she showed them how to do so, led them through the ceremonies.

Through all this, Jack had stood aside, watching in case they needed his help. He had fought spirits before, and even with his sacred blade it had been hard. But then, he was one man, with only a little spiritual training. It had been enlightening, watching them. And he continued to watch as their mother led them through the ceremonies to cleanse the house of its residual taint. Surprising, how similar her cleansing ceremony was to the ones he had seen, though she invoked the power of Eedyk, rather than calling upon kami or similar. When she pronounced the house clear, he smiled. "Thank you. But now, we must speak with that realtor." The others agreed, and they locked up the house before driving back downtown, this time with Jack in full armour.

They swept through the door and spread across the office, normal courtesy set aside. They bypassed the receptionist, whose protest died at Jack's warning glare, and filled the office of the realtor who'd showed them the property. "You did not mention the haunting spirit," Jack said, tone flat and hard. "Yet you knew of it and sent us there despite that. Explain yourself," he demanded.

The realtor, a tubby fellow whose skin had turned almost grey with terror, took a long drink of what Jack was fairly sure was mostly water. "I… I figured you could handle it. If you did, then I'd be able to rent the place again. And if you didn't, well… there's a bounty on all of you. Either way, I'm better off," he said, voice somehow oily and pleading at once.

Jack growled deep in his chest, and the girls hissed behind their masks. "There is no need to strike him down," the samurai said. "Let him know we chose to be merciful." The girls nodded, and contented themselves with reducing the furniture and file cabinets and computers to scrap. When they were done, Jack looked once more at the man. "We will pay the agreed upon rent. Starting on the first day of winter, if we are still there." Then they departed; there was much to do. Simple as their tastes were, they still wanted a few things for their new house.

That night, in the area they had designated as the dining hall, they sat around their low table and shared a meal familiar to Jack but profoundly strange to the women: boiled white grains, steamed vegetables, a clear broth they couldn't quite identify, other vegetables roasted in the oven, and pan-fried sections of a fish they couldn't place, each served in a compartment in the odd plates Avi had found during their shopping. They spoke little over the meal, but unlike the Temple, this quiet was warm and welcoming. When the meal was done, they loaded their dishes into the washer, and started its cycle, a wonderful convenience for so large a group. Then in the front room, they gathered, and shared songs and plays, the music coming from Aki's player. In the bedrooms, their weapons sat in their chargers, and when the time came for sleep, simple tatami served them for beds, and firm pillows and light, thin comforters. In one bedroom, Jack slept alone, the High Priestess in another, and the girls piled together in the last.

A few days came and went as the nine spend their days in practice in the yard or in patrols of the city, with Jack going each night to the pub where he first met Rima, and the women finding eateries they preferred. At length. his patience bore fruit, and Rima sat with him at his table.

"Hello again, Samurai," she said in her familiar voice, though this time she wore far less than at their first meeting, hardly more that the girls' outfits covered when they withdrew their darksuits: a broad band of light blue over her breasts, low-waisted elastic shorts third of the way down of her thighs, and low shoes of same colour as her top and her shorts. The waitress came by almost as soon she sat, and took their orders.

"Good evening, Rima. I trust you are doing well?" he asked, tearing a roll in two and offering her a piece.

She took it, and spread it with butter. "Well enough. I recently completed a lengthy commission, so I can afford some time off."

"A commission?" he asked. "Doing what?"

She smirked. "Whatever my employers wanted, mostly carving the sides and bottom of their pool. They weren't very creative, though; it was almost boring. But I'm glad to be back in my clothes."

Back in her clothes? Jack wondered but did not ask. Why would a sculptor be unclothed? Perhaps he'd ask later. "I have done well for myself of late. I and the Daughters of Darkness travel together, and of late, their mother too has joined our band." He smiled. "We seek to do such good as we can, and it is on that matter I would speak with you. After dinner, at the house we rent for now."

"Sounds serious," she said, and the conversation turned to lighter matters. After dinner and dessert and the settling of the bill, Rima rode pillion out to the house. A shabby little place, but inside, the floor shone in the light, the long, broad hall running all the way to the rear. Having let her in at the front door, Jack took his bike to the garage; the others arrived not long after, and though there were not enough seats for all, none of them counted it hardship to use the floor that their guest might be comfortable. Rima accepted the gesture with good grace, and took a seat on the couch, flanked by Jack and Ashi.

He began the introductions, then hesitated. "I do not know your name," he said to the High Priestess, who nodded to that.

"Call me High Priestess, or Priestess; I gave up my name when I assumed the office. It is a custom of the Temple."

Jack nodded to that, and introduced the other Daughters. "What is your temple," Rima asked. "Aku doesn't generally allow anything past small shrines."

"I am the High Priestess of the Daughters of Aku," she said, her voice somehow proud and hushed at once.

Rima nearly ran from the house, but Jack put a hand on her shoulder. "Let her tell her story, and her daughters, then decide what to do. I pledge that you will come to no harm." She settled back, and heard them out, especially the High Priestess. A strange story, and hard to credit, but less hard than the alternative.

"So, I'm guessing you'd like me to take you to Y'hanath, so the ladies can can be given black blades?"

He nodded. "Their power ultimately derives from Aku, so if they are to join me in the final battle, they must have a way to hurt him that he cannot remove at will. Your grandmother rules that land, does she not?"

Rima laughed, a harsh, bitter sound. "As much as anyone can rule any place under Aku. I'll take you, but you'll need to know a few things about our customs. I'll fill you in as we go, I'll meet you tomorrow at the main library around noon," she told them, then Jack showed her to the nearest bus stop, and waited with her until the conveyance arrived.

Once she was one her way, he returned to the house to find the women gathered around the fireplace, a fire burning in it. Ami smiled brightly to him as he came in. "Put out the lights and close the curtains?" she asked. "When we were going through the cupboards earlier, we found a new drink: cocoa. There's just enough for nine, so now that we've cleansed the house and met with Rima, we decided to make it."

Their mother said to him, "We're using this vessel to heat it, keeping it near the fire," indicating a small Dutch oven. "This is our usual method of cooking at the Temple, though we use larger vessels of course."

"That, or drying stones and smoking racks," Aji added. "We preserve a great deal of food in the warm months to see us through the cold season."

"That's true. We never left the Temple until our mission began," Ami continued, "but during the winter, none of us leave except for truly dire need."

Their mother turned the little vessel. "True. During the winter, the snow quickly builds to the point of impassibility. There's no reason to go out, and every reason not to. To break a trail through the snow to our forests in any reasonable time would take the entire congregation."

Jack remained quiet. Everything he heard reinforced the image of a bleak and joyless childhood for the girls, and again he was amazed that they were so nearly normal.

"Mother, if we had completed our mission," Avi started to asked, then turned to Jack. "Never mind."

Jack smiled gently. "Please, continue. I am not offended or upset."

She continued. "If we had completed our mission, what would have become of us?"

The Priestess considered that for a long time. "I think that we would have found great favour with Aku, once he learned of it. I would have become his… his queen I suppose. His second-in-command might be closer, you would have become his enforcers, and the Daughters his personal servants. At some point," and she shuddered a bit, "he would have definitely brought out what he called the best part of us. But we would not have rebelled against that as we did, not without your loss of faith to precede that."

All of them shuddered at that, and the Priestess removed the cover before she began serving out the cocoa, passing each mug to Ari, who passed it along until each of ten had a warm mug in hand. Before they actually tired it, the Priestess began to sing. "We are a family," she started, and the girls joined in, "I fight for them and they fight for me," and the song went on. Jack took the spoken part: "A family, brought together by love, and wielding special powers from their mastery of martial science!" and the women finished the song. The Priestess again sighed. "I still do not truly have the right to sing that."

Ashi smiled. "You're right. But you are getting there."


	61. Lord and Ladies

Early the next morning, the nine sprang out the windows at the sudden sound of people approaching; Jack held his sword but wore only his fundoshi, the rest had ranged weapons ready and were sheathed in their darksuits. "Who are you," he demanded of the people in worn-looking clothes.

The oldest-looking of them, a human man, took a few steps forward. "Your landlord sent us," he said with a smirk. "We're here to repaint the house, get rid of the moss, mow the lawn, all that. 'Bout time the creep coughed up a few bucks." He looked Jack over. "Want us to come back later? You seem kinda on edge."

Jack lowered his sword. "No, I am all right. I will go back inside for now. Please, begin your work."

On the other side of the house, the girls, with their trained senses, had heard the conversation clearly and relayed it to their mother. They too re-entered the house, and they attended to their morning routines, amusing themselves by tracking the workmen's actions just by sound. They sparred in the living room, then washed, then at the last collected all of their moveable belongings, then walked their bikes to the road. As they passed the foreman, Jack called out to him. "Perhaps you should inspect the interior," he suggested with a slightly malicious smile. The foreman agreed it was a good thought, with a similar expression, and the nine drove off to the main library.

In the courtyard, a vast, curved space with a multi-storey tall roof, Rima waisted on one of the very uncomfortable benches, seemingly designed to prevent anyone form enjoying a book quietly. Then again, they'd been created about fifty years before, so that was only to be expected of a public place, wasn't it? She stood up, and walked around slowly, looking for her new travelling companions. As she paced, a hopefully male something that more than anything else resembled a large tree trunk with roots at both ends held out a large bundle of currency toward her, and she gave her most dubious look. "What are you trying to hire me to do?" she asked of the creature, though the possibilities were limited. It, her, or whatever rattled its branches at her in a way she presumed to be language, to which she replied, "I have no idea what you're saying." The creature shuffled off, and repeated its performance with another humanoid female. She just looked away, and kept pacing. There were a lot of very strange things in the world.

When Jack and the women entered the courtyard, Rima was easy to spot even in the crowded space, between her deep green skin and her distinctive black outfit of ankle-length dress slit most of the way up her thigh, baring her back, arms and much of her cleavage. and calf-high boots with tall heels. He bowed to her' and his companions did the same, and Rima curtseyed. "Good afternoon, Ikra," he said.

"Good afternoon, Jack, ladies," she replied. "So… we have a few things to discuss before we start."

He agreed. "We will go by air. But first, we must go to a friend of mine, and speak with him on certain matters."

Rima's jaw dropped. "By air? How can you…" then she closed her mouth. "My apologies."

The High Priestess, as tall in flat feet as Rima in her heels, smiled slightly. "My daughters claimed less than a tenth of the gulper's worth," and the other woman's mouth made an "o" of understanding.

"I see. So we'll fly both ways? Y'haneth has no airport, we'll need to go by road for the last leg," she told them, and they all nodded their understanding. In the library, Rima helped arrange the needed passages, after they managed to change some of the women's coin for electronic funds, then a quick stop at the nearest shop got Rima a helmet.

The trip itself was uneventful, but the nearest airport to the Highlands was a full day's travel from Fergus' castle, and so the group was obliged to camp out the first night. Rima stood well away during set-up, knowing full well she had no relevant skills, and served only as audience to the tales and songs at the fire. Nine travelling companions, eight of them women with figures to match her own, and yet she felt more alone than when she'd arrived in the city where she and Jack had met. At last, the conversation turned to a subject she understood.

"You mentioned customs we should know?" Jack asked, and watched her relax slightly.

"Yes," she said, relief and happiness tinging her voice. "Among my people, one's clothes indicate one's standing. The lowers classes, for example, are expected to dress more modestly, the upper classes more sensually. As a member of the ruling family, this dress is completely appropriate to my station, for example. At the same time, there are also considerations of colouring. Certain colours and patterns are restricted to certain professions, such as brown and red and camouflage are only for warriors. Those black sheaths of yours, for example, are just begging for arrests: only the ruling family wears black. Now, Jack can get away with his robes, or his armour, because everyone knows he's a mighty fighter and that's simply how he dresses normally. But you… what other clothes do you have?" and she eyed their regular attire. "Expect a lot of challenges. We're not exactly a warrior culture, but claiming a high status, as you do with those outfits, is still an open invitation to prove your right to it. But if you're all right with that, then no need for new clothes."

Ashi just grinned. "We can handle challengers."

Rima chuckled. "I don't doubt it." She looked at the tent and yurt. "So, where do I sleep tonight?"

That prompted some discussion, with concerns for both propriety and practicality being voiced and weighed. Finally, the High Priestess spoke. "If you approve, Samurai, I will give Rima my place in the yurt, and share the tent with you. There can be no worries for impropriety at our ages."

Jack frowned at that. "We should talk. Apart," he said, and the two of them walked several metres away. "Be truthful with me: are you truly beyond such desires?"

She considered the question, then shook her head. "I hate to admit it, but no. I have long directed my passions to the worship of Aku, but now…"

"Now you feel them stirring, moving to other focusses," he. said slowly. "I understand. I am still a young man in body, with a young man's drives. It has not always been easy to resist the temptations of your daughters; they are very beautiful. As are you." He did not look at her as he spoke, nor she at him.

"The idea of laying with you is… revolting. All my life, I have considered you the very embodiment of evil. But at the same time. it is tempting, now that I have come to know you for what you truly are. And Aku for what he truly is."

A silent time passed. "It is good you chose to be honest about this."

She smiled faintly. "We are both too old in spirit to act like foolish children. So, do we share a tent?"

"Yes," he finally said. "I can think of no safer pairing," and they both laughed softly before returning to the fire.

The night passed fairly quietly for Jack; he had grown somewhat accustomed to the soft warmth of the sleeping bag. The High Priestess found a ground sheet and her darksuit sufficient, and in the yurt…

"That's all you have?" Rima asked, incredulous when the girls simply made a pile of themselves. "The floor?"

The one with the horn-like hair looked over to her. "Of course. It's warm and soft, what more could we ask? We grew up sleeping on bare rock."

Rock. They were used to sleeping on rock. Oh, great-grandfather, what have I put myself among!? she said within herself in shock. She'd heard the tale of their origin, but hadn't considered what it had truly meant. She tried to relax, reminding herself again that if Jack trusted them, they couldn't be that bad. She'd heard the stories, seen the corpse of the Gulper, they had to be good people. Hadn't they? As she lay in the quiet darkness, Rima shivered at the sound of the girls' strange near-chanting, some half-believed prayer from their hideous upbringing no doubt. Their soft breathing grew shallow and irregular, but she was not so blessed, laying still and very quiet, her unsettled imagination conjuring successively worse waking nightmares.

Around the fire at breakfast, the others saw clearly Rima's state, but chose for their various reasons not to ask. Jack simply said they'd be at his friend's castle by noon, and as soon as they'd cleaned up their campsite and repacked the tents, they were off, Rima riding pillion behind Jack and very glad she'd chosen to change her dress for a short-legged bodysuit and long boots. Not quite biker chick chic, but the closest she could manage travelling out of a small suitcase. As they rode, jack taking the lead this time, she looked about the wonderfully beautiful countryside, soaking in the impressions. As they approached the castle, her expression shifted from gentle wonder to open delight as a sound strange to the High Priestess but far too familiar to Jack reached her ears. "Drone-pipes!" she cried, her husky voice sounding nearly orgasmic. "Oh, they're beautiful! Are they common around here?" she all but demanded of Jack.

She could not see his pained expression, but she certainly heard it. "They are fairly common, and my friend will happy to play them for you." Poor Jack, he must be one of those unfortunates who simply could not hear drone-pipes without suffering. Well, no hope for it. A few minutes later, they were in the courtyard, meeting a man in a wheelchair, his immense wife, and the heroic amazons they called their daughters. Moments later, Rima and Fergus were deep in a technical discussion of pipes and their playing. She couldn't play herself, and admitted it openly, but that didn't keep her from having a valid opinion.

Jack, the girls, and their mothers left the two to their discussion, and went to attend to other matters including agreeing on who would be sleeping where. The girls went off shortly after for a sparring session, the Daughters of Darkness making a point of not using their newer powers. Those were only for training amongst themselves, or truly dire need.

Fortunately for Jack, the dinner did not include haggis; the main dish was a sort of casserole of ground lamb with diced vegetables, topped with mashed potatoes and accompanied with strong ale or strong cold tea; the High Priestess approached it with almost as much reluctance as Jack had shown haggis, but her children just enjoyed it, encouraged her to do the same. Rima asked what it actually was, then smiled before starting in on her meal, after thanking her hostess. As before, the dinner conversation segued into tale-telling, songs, and boasting, and as before, the Daughters chose to tell a tale of Aku and his great benevolence and kindness, and again the audience nearly collapsed with laughter. Their mother merely looked downcast and troubled, unable to join but not wanting to leave.

In his room, Jack and the Priestess sat upon the bed and the desk's chair. "Oh, samurai, I do not know if I can do this," she said, voice tremulous, eyes wet with tears she would not shed. "These people, their ways, even their foods are so, so strange, so different. Yet my daughters…"

Jack nodded to that. "I understand. I too am uncomfortable with this clan. But their leader is a friend from of old, and they are mighty fighters. And the girls had the advantage of having spent several months in the city, working at a theatre. And of course, they are much younger. You will never be entirely comfortable here, but you do not need to be. And we will not be here long."

She smiled faintly. "I am glad of that. At least my room is mostly familiar." She said nothing for a time. "I suppose their relative ease of adaptation should have been expected; I did teach them to accept local customs if they needed to deal with the greater world."

Jack nodded to that. "Did you expect such need?"

She shook her head. "No, not given their skill and power. I fully expected them to kill you, then return to the temple."

"They very well could have," he admitted. "Aki alone was almost a match for me when she arranged circumstances to favour her. I am glad she failed, and not only for my own sake."

The High Priestess looked down, hoping to hide her sorrowful visage. "As am I, samurai," she said slowly. "I am coming to realize how terrible a mother I was to them, but I am still their mother, and Aku's once-priestess. It was only natural I should have some care for my god's children, however slight."

Jack nodded slightly to that. "Have you given thought to to what you will do after we defeat Aku?" They both knew that if Aku defeated them, the best either could hope for would be a swift death.

"I have," she said. "I will return to the Temple, and speak new law. We will remain cloistered, and ascetic and martial, but we will change our focus from Aku to Eedyk, and we will write letters to other temples and places of learning. Of course, our ways will change; there will be no more required offerings or giving of ourselves to the fire, and we will celebrate other holy days." She shook her head slowly. "This will be with Ayano's support and Rika's, and," she drew a deep breath and exhaled heavily, "the effect of Aku's touch, I should be able to do this." When this is done, she said within herself, perhaps I will be fit to call myself their mother.

.oO()Oo.

The next few days went quickly, with Jack spending his time with Fergus, and the girls in sparring with the Scotsman's daughters and in refining their very minimal skill at riding, and introducing their mother to the strange new art. Ikra wandered the Highlands, and at request, contributed to some repairs on the castle's decorative carvings.

The High Priestess, when not learning or sparring, had taken to wandering the moors. Four days into the visit, she paused to sit on a rock, the afternoon sun at her back. Her eyes fell upon her shadow, long and horned, and she shivered convulsively. A few quick movements vanished her mask and headdress, but the weight in her heart remained. She remembered despite herself the first lessons in combat she'd taught her daughters, and though she tried to convince herself she'd only been as harsh as needed, she lowered her head in shame and began weep silent tears, her face nearly blank. O Samurai, o priestess of Eedyk, all you people of the greater world, I thank you for helping my girls. For teaching them the lessons I could never have imagined. The Last Battle draws near. Perhaps, if I survive it, and set the Daughters of Aku upon the path of righteousness, so far as I can see it, I will have earned the right to call myself mother, earned some small measure of my girls' forgiveness. Her mind was firm, her heart settled. She would walk the path of righteousness, and lead her congregation on that path, and perhaps earn a measure of forgiveness. Now if she only know what that path was.

.oO()Oo.

Soon enough, Jack and his companions were winging their swift way toward Rima's home aboard a chartered cargo flier; Jack spent his time attempting to meditate, Rima watched the in-flight entertainment, and the girls and their mother were again finding common ground in wonder at the marvels of the greater world. To fly so high the ground seemed a painting, yet so swiftly they could actually see it change beneath them was a thing to warm even the arctic granite of the High Priestess' heart.

When they finally touched down at the airport, at Rima's advice the nine drove out the cargo bay almost before the ramp had finished lowering, weapons out and ready; the women had their visors up and Jack his bow at the ready, and just as well. There was a welcoming committee, dozens of soldiers with varied weapons. Missiles first, blown apart with explosive arrows and optic blasts, then motorcycles abandoned, the women stretched into the heavy gunners and the regular infantry, putting themselves deliberately within the enemy formation where their skills and powers were greatest and strongest, and their opponents' were least and weakest. At Jack's behest over their comms, they held back from lethal force, content to merely cripple, disable, or otherwise render hors de combat. Jack himself considered it enough to destroy the troopers' weapons, especially since they immediately raised their hands in surrender when he did so. Indeed, they surrendered remarkably quickly, given the numerical disparity, and Jack removed his menpo.

"I wish to speak with your commanding officer," he said, tone commanding and firm. For the first time in a very long time, he took up the officer's manner he had learned in his initial travels, and when the commander, in the same sort of desert camouflage, approached him, Jack saluted in the Roman manner. The commander return a touch of the forehead. "I would know why your troops attacked us."

The commander nodded at that. "Rima called us in advance. But we had to be sure you were you, and how else could be sure?" He didn't sound even slightly apologetic.

Jack nodded, understanding. "Your men are skilled. I hope none of them are badly hurt."

The commander sighed. "So do I; those girls are terrifying. Not that you're any pushover."

Jack chuckled at that. "Thank you. But now we have business with Ikra, or such is my understanding."

"I'll leave tat to Rima. I have to go check on my men." An exchange of salutes, and the two men parted.

Once they were back at their bikes, with Rime beside Jack's, she bowed stiffly. "My apologies, samurai. My grandmother ordered me not to tell you what was coming." He accepted the apology, and asked her to mount, and guide them to a hotel. "No. I have orders to take you all to the palace. Grandmother wants to meet with you tonight." The drive was fairly long, and as they approached the great pillar city, all of them gaped in wonder, even Jack, for the city was utterly amazing, the tapered pillars made of hollow glass in colours from a barely perceptible yellow tint to a deep brown, and streaked with others from deepest red to high violet, and every degree of saturation, swirled in nearly random ways, varying from as little as fifteen metres high to nearly a hundred. In the streets, men and women thronged as they went about all the businesses of daily life, the air thick with scents and filled with cries of merchants and customers, and sometimes of infants or children whose lives were not running as they wished. They soon saw that as they approached the palace, clothing did indeed become more revealing, more tailored, emphasizing the desirability and physicality of the wearers, and the colours, they saw, grew deeper and richer. Jewelry became more abundant, and clearly more costly, and once they actually arrived , and turned over their bikes to the parking attendants, the girls and the Priestess produced their normal clothes before withdrawing their darksuits. Rima smiled at the sight, and led them to the Privy Gate, where the staff took charge of them.

Shown to the bathing chambers, they looked around, puzzled a bit. "Do men and women normally bathe together here?" the High Priestess asked, and the attendant told her they did. At that, the women manifested their darksuits, vanished their ordinary clothes, and withdrew the suits again. Though surprised, Jack neither turned away nor stared, simply began to remove his armour; Aki offered to help, and he accepted the aid.

"How does one bathe in this place? I have known many different customs," Jack asked the attendant, a young woman apparently not quite as old as the girls, wearing a white breast band and billowing pants, both sheer to the point of transparency. She explained the procedure, the same the visitors knew from their childhoods, and soon they were clean, then soaking in the warm tub. After a relaxing soak, they rose from the water, dried themselves with the provided towels, and the women quickly extended their darksuits and produced their clothing, then withdrew their darkness once more. Jack had to do it the slow way, donning his clothing and armour piece by piece, with assistance from Aki and the attendant. He carried his kabuto and menpo as a different staffer, an older boy this time, one in deep blue pants, boots and vest, led them through the strangely twisting passages to the throne room.

As they went along, they noticed that everything seemed to be made of the same multi-coloured bubbly glass as the towers themselves: the statuary, the furnishings, even the keyboards on the computers they saw, and in the throne room itself, they saw Rima, standing at the left of the throne, clad in a diaphanous black sleeveless, backless gown slit up to the hips on each side and plunged down almost to her navel. Upon the crudely carved throne, a woman who looked almost exactly like her, only much older, her face lined and hair whitening, and her dress, though still cloes-fitting, was sleeved, high-collared, and only split up her calf. And on the right, there stood another woman, her face a bit broader and flatter than Rima's and Ikra's. She wore the outfit that Jack remembered the false Ikra wearing during their travels, and unlike her mother and daughter, carried a heavy scimitar, with a glossy black blade.

Queen Ikra looked them over as they entered. Interesting; the samurai radiated the ready awareness of a trained fighter, no surprise, but so did the others; they'd all looked about themselves discreetly as they entered, cataloguing entry and exit points, guards, ambush positions. Not only the girls, but their mother as well, though that one certainly didn't look old enough to be their mother. An older sister, certainly, but not a mother. "My granddaughter told me of your business. So, samurai, the time has finally come to take the battle to Aku himself?"

He and the girls had knelt as they had been told was proper, and he now looked up. "Yes, your majesty. Aku will die by year's end. With the power of my sword, and the aid of his children, and his former High Priestess, I will end him, and his reign."

Queen Ikra raised a brow at that. "Daughters? Former? You had best explain yourself. But not here. It is nearly suppertime, so we will talk in the royal dining chamber." She rose, and the rest followed her to a chamber whose walls were covered with abstract carvings where they were not decorated with power screens. A sideboard and hutch stood on the inner wall, the room itself dominated by a large table and chairs, chairs without cushions. The women thought nothing of that, and Jack merely wonders about it, but did not ask. Without needing orders, servants in deep blue began to bring in places and settings, food and drink. "Our meal will be fairly poor; my apologies for only having meat and wine. The fruit harvest was poor, and fit for nothing else, and our usual grain supplier suffered a blight."

"Only" meat and wine? Jack thought as the dishes were brought in. He had met many royals who would have felt shame if they'd needed to offer anything else. He glanced at his companions, wondering how they would take it.

The High Priestess smiled brightly. "Thank you, your majesty. We are not disappointed at all, for like your land, our temple lives by the products of the forests, not the fields. For us, meat is normal and wine a rare luxury."

"As long as we've been in the greater world," Aki added, "we still find bread and cheese a bit exotic and a little strange. And wine is a very rare thing in our temple. Indeed, we've never even had it."

"That is true," their mother continued. "The temple hasn't made a single bottle since before they were born, and only five or six in a year before that. Depending on our numbers, of course."

The queen looked to a servant. "Bring water for our guests." Pitchers and glasses soon enough came in, and the queen spoke what the others presumed to be a prayer in her own language. She then looked to the High Priestess. "How would you bless the meal?"

She's been dreading that question, by it did not show upon her face. "Your majesty, I would not have blessed the meal at all. I would have asked Aku to bless us and strengthen us that we might get the most good of His generous gifts. I taught, as had the High Priestesses before me, that Aku is the benevolent creator of all things. For well over three thousand years, we have taught this to our children. Yes, Samurai, the Daughters of Aku go back nearly as far as Aku's reign. And yes, for all that time we have been dedicated, devout, militant… and utterly wrong. But I can honestly tell you that even when we did roam the world, we did our best to protect and safeguard what we believed to be our Lord's creation."

He frowned at that, knowing what that would have meant when deal with fanatical Aku worshippers. "When you did roam the world?" he asked. "So you have not always been cloistered."

She shook her head. "According to the Book of Aku, we roamed the world for nearly two thousand years. But eventually, we found Aku's enemies coming together against us, and so we fled into the forests and mountains, and by necessity sought a new way to serve our Lord. We became a cloistered order, focussed on prayer, worship, contemplation and preparation for the Last Battle, and settled into the cavern complex and the forested mountain you know."

"How many are you now," he asked tentatively.

She sighed heavily. "If we include myself and my daughters… 34. Our lowest ebb since our founding. As I said, we gambled everything on my daughters' success, and now, I risk everything on our success." She allowed her control to slip a little, a bit of fear and desperation to slip into her voice and face. "It is a hard thing, Samurai, to be a priestess with no god. And even so, I must find a way to lead my congregation into the world to come, when Aku is destroyed."

Jack looked at her with a trace of real compassion for the first time. He'd felt pity for her, some degree of empathy for her struggle to adjust to a radically new world, or at least a radically new view of it. But now, he began to understand that she had not lost simply an illusion, but the very foundation of her world. What was a priestess without a god?


	62. Final Preparations

After dinner, the staff showed them to their rooms. "If they're more than you're comfortable with," the elderly man who directed the others said, "just say so, and we'll make whatever adjustments are needed." He was clearly well-stricken in years, with his wrinkled face and white haired, yet still stood tall and strong and proud in his deep blue attire; the young servants with him wore far less, little more than shorts and vests on the men, skirts and breast bands for the women.

The High Priestess looked around her opulent chamber, made, it seemed, almost entirely of glass, polished, carved, spun, woven… she had never imagined such things could be done with the material. She looked around and around, slowly. "I… I will sleep at the foot of the bed. I do not wish to trouble you," she finally said.

The old man smiled, and thanked her for her consideration. "Would you like a simpler room? The palace has provision for many sorts of visitors."

She looked to Jack, and to her daughters. "I think we all would. We are all ascetics." And the others nodded.

He bowed to them. "Very well," and led them to a room that was nearly empty. A simple chest, some power outlets, and that seemed to be all. "The chest holds mats, blankets, pillows. Will this suit, or will the samurai require a room of his own?"

He smiled. "I do not need a room of my own." Not after a winter of intermittently sharing sleeping space with the Daughters. And the old man smiled, then bade them a good night.

"Tomorrow," Jack said, "we will go into the desert. We have much to discuss, and will need certain privacy."

The women nodded, then Adi produced the Eedyk block. "While we're here, we should look for an Eedyk temple. Mother, you need a new faith; please, at least consider this one. It's certainly done us good. And I think it's helped you a little." The High Priestess said nothing, but she settled into a meditative state with her daughters, joining them in their wordless vocalization, while Jack, after removing his armour, performed a long series of moving meditations based around sword forms.

Once the sun was down, the eight arranged themselves for sleep: the Daughters in a pile, the High Priestess and Jack near each other. Once her daughters were asleep so far as she could tell, the High Priestess spoke, very softly. "Samurai, I… I do not know if I will able to do this. Help in the assault. I can certainly face down his minions, but to attack my once-god, I do not know if I can bear it. He tore my heart out, Jack, yet to strike against him directly would tear it out anew. I do not know if I could bear that pain."

Jack stayed silent a long moment. "I have learned that many can bear more pain than is commonly thought. Including myself. And I do not wish to sound unsympathetic, but from what the girls have told me, your life's faith involves a great deal of emotional and spiritual pain, and little comfort, does it not?"

She answered slowly, reluctantly. "Yes. It does; the way of the Daughters of Aku is a hard, hard way."

"If you have survived so long in that way, you must be very strong indeed. As I have said, I too know something of pain. I will help you as I can, and your daughters also. If you will take our help."

"I thank you, Samurai," she said softly. Perhaps he was right. Perhaps, with their help, she could do what she knew she had to do.

Nobody sane travelled in the desert during the heat of the afternoon, and though they were many things, Jack and the women were not entirely insane. So they were gathered under a north-facing fabric lean-to, with their water collectors ready.

Jack laid out a map of Aku's fortress and the surrounding area. "According to our latest intelligence, Aku has withdrawn to his fortress, and is gathering his minions to defend it. In addition to his robots, he has mercenaries of many species, including air cover. Happily, despite what many story-tellers would have one believe, very few thinking creatures actually have special powers. The Scotsman's army, including his daughters, can mostly deal with them. But what of your congregation? How should they be involved, if at all?"

She considered the question. "They need to be involved, but we must keep them away from the main fighting. Perhaps…" She touched a point on at the map. "This pass. With a beetle drone factory up here, it's a very likely path for Aku to summon reinforcements. I can convince the Daughters to strike against the drones, thin their numbers. That will help us and them."

Aki smiled a bit. "Death is failure." Jack frowned at that, but she smiled to him. "We can show concern for their lives without violating doctrine, and encourage them to harass without closing." He smiled a bit, and nodded in understanding.

When they returned to the palace in time for dinner, no-one questioned their absence. Among the conversations, Ikra mentioned that the smiths had agreed to copy their weapons as black blades; after dinner, they gave their chosen weapons to a servant, not without some trepidation. For the girls especially, since apart from their darksuits, those weapons had been for most of their lives the closest things they'd had to personal possessions.

The next day found the High Priestess deep in conversation with a priest of Eedyk, and Jack accompanying the sisters as they shopped around for gunbelts and holsters in their preferred colours, and sheaths for their weapons where applicable. Ashi needed a quiver, and a hook on her belt to hold the chain of her kusarigama; all needed straps for their kunai. Jack had never really realized how heavily armed the young women were.

For the rest of their stay, Jack and the women discussed plans and tactics for their part in the assault each night; during the day, Jack and the girls travelled the city, and the High Priestess did her best to learn the basics of the Eedyk faith. After the first few challenges, the word spread quickly that yes, the overarmed, overexposed and undersized Amazons had the right to their outfits.


	63. Addressing the Faithful

Forging the black blades too longer than Jack had expected, but that was no great hardship; in the desert beyond the agriforests that fed Y'hanath, the women spent a great deal of time mastering their new powers, and in sparring with them both against each other and against Jack. For their sake, he used his normal katana against them, rather than his sacred blade, and quickly recovered his former skill in fighting shape-shifters.

On the day the women received their black blades in a simple ceremony, Ikra herself called them to her court. "I have news for you: you will not return to the Scotsman. There's been a change of plan: First, my fastest plane will take you and your bikes near to the High Priestess' temple, then after you do what you need to, you'll be flown to Aku's tower, where my forces will provide close air support to the Scotsman's army. Our task will be to keep his minions occupied, while you and the women face Aku himself."

Jack smiled at that news. "Thank you very much for your support, your Majesty." And after a few more polite formalities, the nine withdrew. "Well, this is remarkably good," he said as they walked to their assigned suite. "High Priestess, do you know what you will say to your congregation?"

She smiled to that. "I do," and explained her plans to him. "The priests of Eedyk have helped me greatly in learning about the greater world and its many wonders."

That night, the nine, for the first time, all shared a session of meditation before the Eedyk block. After the girls went to their room, the High Priestess turned to Jack. "Samurai, may we speak?"

"Of course," he said, changing his seating to face her directly as she did the same.

She looked at him directly, though her face was strained. "It is about my daughters. Ours is not a celibate order, Samurai. I would not presume to tell you what to do in this matter, but if my daughters should choose to approach you concerning such, there is no bar to such things in our teachings."

His puzzlement showed clearly. "You are not celibate? I am not entirely sure whether or not I find that reassuring."

"I… am not entirely sure myself now," she admitted. "Every twenty or so years, the youngest of the Daughters go out to the forest, where they entice local young men. They use certain potions of our knowledge to ensure they bear only daughters, and those daughters are raised in the faith."

"I recall your telling me this. And you became pregnant shortly before the last time that would have happened."

She nodded to that. "And we chose to devote all our resources to raising Aku's true daughters."

"Naturally," he agreed, though not without repressing a shudder. "Will that continue?"

She sighed heavily. "The youngest of the Daughters, apart from the girls, are almost beyond the age of children. But they went out this spring in hope of getting so. So… I don't know. I must consider this deeply. We have been so very isolated, Samurai, and for so very long." Jack said nothing, but his contemplative look removed the need. She went to the room she and her daughters were using, and Jack to his.

Came the morning, they ate a quick breakfast, and after collecting their bikes drove out to the military airport; once aboard, the women immediately seized the opportunity to extend their darksuits and stow their weaponry properly. "Oh, that is so much better!" said Ami, running her hands over her forearms in delight. "Keeping our suits inside so much for so long felt so wrong!" Her sisters and even their mother expressed agreement with varying degrees of emphasis. Jack just looked on in puzzlement, before remembering that the girls had literally lived in those suits since toddlerhood, and their mother even longer.

They spent the trip reviewing their tactical options, especially how to enter the Pit of Hate, and how to get back out afterwards, and upon landing, the women took off for the Temple while Jack chose to spend time browsing the commercial district and visiting a few theatres.

The women drove through the hills, the mountains, and up to the very edge of the forest. To their pleasure, the sentries came to full alert and trained arrows on them. They walked forward slowly with hands raised. "I commend you," the High Priestess said. "Allow us to establish ourselves." She reached into her left arm's darkness and drew out her knife, slowly, and the girls drew out their own signature weapons, also slowly. Then the sentries stood down, and the High Priestess nodded to them both. "Summon the Daughters, we will gather in the classroom. The Last Battle is upon us."

The sentries stiffened up instantly, and darted off with speed edging onto the supernatural, and soon the Daughters of Aku were gathered in the classroom, a converted storage area. The High Priestess and her daughters entered, and took their place at the head of the class. "Daughters of Aku," she said, holding her reclaimed staff of office. "The Last Battle has come, and you will take your part." She let them howl their delight for a time before tapping her staff on the floor for order. "You will not fight in the front line, but your contribution will be important." She withdrew from her darkness a holographic projector, and made it shine out a map. She let the congregation stare and settle down again. "Here is where Aku's tower is, and here is where the main battle will occur between his armies and his enemies'," she said, indicating the relevant locations. "You would never survive there."

"Death is failure," they said in ragged chorus.

"Yes, and so you will fight here," and she indicated a narrow pass. "It lies between the main battle area and a factory that produces fighting machines, machines you must destroy. And this is their appearance," she said as she switched to a rotating view of a beetle drone. "Do not close with them; even Rika could not survive that. Cling to the walls of the cliffs, fire arrows and bullets at them. Rika will have special javelins, and your own ammunitions will also be special. Thanks to my daughters, we have the means to purchase them. And we have allies, who will take you to that site in flying machines. My daughters and I will go to the very Pit of Hate, where no ordinary woman can long endure." Again, she allowed the commotion to settle down.

One of the Daughters spoke up. "High Priestess, how are we to fight the insects in that pass? It is too narrow, and the walls too steep, for us to fight effectively." There were murmurs of agreement, and the High Priestess answered.

"You will enter the Pit of Darkness, and use your darksuits to cling to the cliff walls. You will stay strictly out of range of the beetle drones," she said firmly. "You are the mothers of the next generation, and our numbers are at their lowest. All of you are vital to both the battle and the Temple's future in the new world."

"Death is failure," chorussed the congregation.

The High Priestess nodded to acknowledge that. "After your immersion, you are to use the floor and ground as little as possible. You must accustom yourselves very quickly to travelling on walls; we leave tomorrow for the last battle."

The sun set and rose, and the High Priestess led the relevant services. Over her communicator, she called Ikra's people, and soon a rented bus arrived at the road to collect the Daughters of Aku. The cave-dwellers gaped and stared behind their masks as the vehicle carried them swiftly to the airport, where they were escorted to their transport, with Ayano once more holding the staff of office.

Once her congregation was on the way, the High Priestess and her daughters rejoined Jack. This was going to be a battle for the ages… and a thing of nightmares.


	64. The Last Battle

Jack could barely believe that the day had finally come, that he was preparing to directly take the fight to Aku in his own lair. He had dreamed of this, yearned fr it, longed for it, for so long, but always he had assumed he would be alone. Never had he thought he would have an army at his back, or companions in his fight. And such companions! The apostate High Priestess of the most devout and dedicated Aku-worshipping cult in the world, and her equally apostate daughters, the literal children of Aku himself! Fate and destiny were strange things indeed.

While the Samurai and her daughters discussed tactics and planned for the upcoming battle, the High Priestess sat in full lotus, her focus turned entirely inward. In her mind, she faced Aku, her black bladed knife ready. She charged him, dodged a tendril, then died by impalement. Shocked out of her meditative state, she composed herself again, and again faced her rejected god. Again, she died, crushed to paste. Again and again and again, she faced him in her mind, and again and again and again she died. Yet she did not yield, could not yield. More confrontations, more deaths. Then a realization welled up: she didn't need to defeat him. That wasn't her place; it was the Samurai's. Her task was simply to survive the fight. Again, she composed herself, and instead of charging, stood her ground, taking up her demonic aspect to protect herself. Her daughters somehow crept into the scenario, wielding their weapons against Aku while she tried to bring herself to do the same. Every time, the meditation ended the same way: her death, horrible to various degrees. Yet even so, every repetition brought her closer to being able to actually fight back, and as their transport slowed, she finally managed to bring herself to strike her once-patron.

.oO()Oo.

As the Scotsman's forces approached from every direction available, Aku's minions advanced against them. Artillery against armour, weapons emplacements against infantry. Leading the charges, the Three Hundred with their near-impenetrable shields of phosphor bronze, the incorruptible metal, and behind them the Archers' people, with explosive tips on their arrows. As soon as the emplacements opened up, they exploded, Yhanath's air support dropping bomblet clusters and forcing the surviving defenders out of their wrecked shelters.

At her father's request, Flora had wheeled him to a clear vantage point atop a ridge, her many sisters hidden behind it, protected from gunfire for the moment. Lightly armoured melee experts, the girls were on their stags, waiting for their opening, ready to charge. Fergus watched the battle through binoculars, giving orders as needed, until one of Aku's minions managed to get a sightline on him. Flora caught a glimpse of the gunner's barrel, fell flat, and the bullets tore through her father, though as his last act, he returned fire from his peg-leg and ripped the minion apart.

Flora looked over, and wailed softly, "No… Da! I'm so sorry, I…"

A spectral form rose from the corpse, and a familiar yet sepulchral voice boomed out. "Did exactly the right thing, m'girl! Ye hit th' deck!"

As a few of her sisters stepped forward to take in the scene, she looked him up and down. "Ye're alve?"

He chuckled. "Well, kind of. And in me prime, no less!"

"But how," she asked through tears and smiles.

He gestured to his sword, the runes on it glowing. "Oh, me darlin' heather blossoms, Celtic magic!"

Flora took up the sword. As his second in command, it was hers by right. "Now what?"

Her father's grin turned predatory. "Now, we charge! Get back in formation, ready weapons, and move out ta the phantom pipes of Lagavulin!" And the Scottish war-pipes rang out, their sound somehow visible as blue waves, shielding the girls from the minor threats of bullets and shell fragments as they charged the line of defenders. A strong lance, backed by three hundred kilos combined weight of deer and girl moving at a fast clip packed quite a wallop, and there were a lot of girls to match a lot of infantry.

Within his tower, Aku stirred fitfully, and finally troubled himself to open the scrying wall and see what all the commotion was about, and smiled broadly. Such delightful carnage! Screams of pain, marvellous! Explosions, fire, wonderful! Oh dear… it was mostly his forces. Well, no matter. It was still fun to watch, and the attackers would be slaughtered once a commander had the wit to summon beetle drones. They'd be crushed, and how wonderful that would be to see.

To the north, two lines of masked, black-clad women stood on the sides of a long, narrow canyon along which a road ran. At a signal from their battle leader, the first line fired arrows and flung sling bullets, shattering the face and bringing a landslide done on on the close-packed beetle drones below, then as the drones began to bunch up at the slide's face, the second line struck at the opposing face, crushing the next lot with a second slide. Then came more, and more, and though the slide slowed them greatly, it was not enough. A second pair of slides crushed more and gave the women a barrier against the drones, and they continued to exploit their one advantage: range. The largest of them, a huge brute, hefted a javelin and hurled it at a drone several ranks back, and the drone and all those around it for several ranks just shut down. From there, it became a mechanical slaughter, an abattoir for robots. In their cold hearts, the women felt satisfaction grow; there would be no reinforcements from this quarter, and the Last Battle would unfold as meant, thanks to them.

High above, a red warning light came on, and Jack and the women made a very quick final check of their equipment. This was the first time the women had ever kept their arsenals outside of their darkness, and one way or another, it would be the last. Jack pressed a stud on the inside of his left kote just as the floor opened up and the nine plummeted toward the top of the tower. Heads down, they dove through the open top of the tower, down toward the Pit of Hate itself. The women snapped open their arms and opened their legs, membranes of darkness acting to slow their fall, and the harness under Jack's armour automatically slowed him to match them.

The moment they were low enough, the women withdrew their membranes and they and Jack resumed their free fall, just in time for Aku to notice the new shadows, turn, and scream in pain as Jack's sacred blade carved a long slash down his torso. The moment they touched down, the women pulled their weapons, and the Daughters' masks smiled slightly.

"YOU!" Aku roared in pain and fury. "How dare you enter this, my very sanctum! But I am not alone! Aid me, my bride, and you shall reign forever at my side!"

"No," she said flatly. "I renounce you, Aku! No longer am I your priestess!"

The towering figure gaped at her incomprehensible words. "Slay this apostate, my darling daughters!" he commanded, while Jack chose simply to watch, despite the immense temptation to end it right then and there, so the women could finally cut ties to Aku.

"No!" one of them shouted. "We will not harm them!"

The Master of Masters, Shogun of Sorrows, screamed in outrage. "How dare you defy your father!" he roared at the girls, but they stood firm, not cowering in the slightest.

"You're not our father," Aji snapped back. "You're barely our sire, and you didn't even plan that!" Aku took that as calmly as expected: he fired his eye beams, then pulled back in shock when they did the same to parry his blast.

"What!?" he demand in outrage. "How dare you try to use my power against me!? Very well, I take it back!" and he made a snatching gesture. The women screamed for a moment before Aku screamed at Jack's cut.

Jack had bided his time, but there was no need to hold back any further. Aku would die this day! As his essence burned away, the Deliverer of Darkness rotated his head, then suddenly flowed into a dragon-like shape, biting and clawing at Jack, trying to tear him to pieces, then when that failed, and caused him greater pain, he quickly spun, turned into a top-like shape with tendrils, slammed all the attackers into the walls, then quickly flowed again into a new shape, squid-like with claws on the tips of his tentacles, striking at the Samurai and at his traitorous "family."

The High Priestess, her knife out, did her best to parry the claw long and wide as her forearm, blocking it as best she could with her new knife. Even with her great strength, power enough to drive through solid rock, the was hard pressed simply to stay alive, ad when Aku drew back for a stronger than usual strike, she reluctantly took up her full power, despite the soul-deep chill it brought, and grew to nearly eight feet tall, a white-eyed shadow woman. Faster, stronger, and still still only barely enough to parry this new strike, but when he pulled back, she managed to strike at the tentacle, feel his essence part, unlike anything she'd felt in her long life. But she had no time to consider this, forced almost immediately back on the defensive.

Jack drove straight in at Aku, slicing bits from the tentacles as they came at him, pushing steadily toward Aku's central body while the women took on their full demonic aspects, used their black blades and optic blasts when they could manage a moment to help keep him distracted. Suddenly the demon pulled himself into a ball, then shot out dozens of spikes, spikes which his armour stopped, but the women's darkness and weapons could not, not entirely, and they screamed as they fell, hideous, inhuman screeching shifting back into the pain moans of terribly injured human women. Still rocking as best he could with sacred blade and blessed armour, Jack circled his ancient foe, and with his foot pressed switches upon the women's wrists that sent each one upward upon very simple contra-gravity lift harnesses.

Aku watched with complement bafflement, why would the samurai bother with such things? It didn't matter, the man would die this day! And now, the demon took a new shape, a creature like an impossible centipede with a hundred mighty arms who rained down blow upon blow. Yet the samurai did not fall, and even cut away the striking limbs! How could he still stand, why did he not die!? Aku spun himself into a humanlike shape, but toweringly tall, and fired his optic blast, but that wretched blade stopped them, and Jack cut off his feet so Aku quickly retuned to his normal form, a mere fifteen or so metres tall, to best fight him, or so he thought. Surely there was some way to kill this annoying samurai!

The women on the way to a medical transport, Jack focussed entirely on Aku, cutting and slicing, blocking strikes with his blade or taking them on his armour. Oh, he'd be in pain once the battle exaltation faded. But at that moment, the sorceror's death was all he cared about. Cut by cut, he sliced away more and more, until the Shogun of Sorrow finally spun himself into a falcon, just in time for Jack to pin him to the ground, draw him into the sword, and force him back out before his entire remaining essence caught fire and Jack leapt high, pressing his lift harness' control button to flee up and out of the fortress as it began to explode beneath him.

Back on the transport, Jack asked first after the women, then removed his armour with assistance upon being told they were stable, for the moment. He took time to thank the gods most sincerely for their gifts, and to ask they aid and strengthen the High Priestess and her daughter in their recovery.

.oO()Oo.

Back in Yhanath, in their top trauma wards, the finest surgical teams available laboured over the women while Jack did his best to remain calm, reading classical poetry and philosophy, and sometimes lighter works. Eventually, a nurse finally came up to him. "I have good news: your companions are in very, very bad shape, but they're also amazingly strong. They're in stable condition, and we're keeping them unconscious to assist their recovery. If you want to visit with them, that's fine. Just don't try to coax them awake, it won't do any good and might be bad for their recovery."

He nodded to that, and rose to visit them, pleased to see them in the same ward. "Did their darksuits cause difficulties?" he asked as he looked at them, laying still and quiet and pale in their beds, with IVs in their arms and sensors on their necks, but no other life support he could see. He had learned over the years that this was a good sign, they needed no artificial aids simply to maintain their vital functions. One by one, he took each one's hand, and thanked her softly by name, save the High Priestess, whom he addressed by her title. They showed no response, but he expected none.

When he was done, the nurse answered his question. "Is that what they're called? No, we didn't. We just treated them like thick skin. One we sutured the wounds, their darksuits started to knit back up, it's pretty amazing." He thanked her, and returned to the lobby, where he found the High Priestess' congregation.

They bowed to him, and the one holding the staff bowed slightly. "Samurai, know that I am Ayano, leader of this congregation during the High Priestess' incapacity." Her voice was hard, cold, barely more than a hiss. "What is her condition, and what had you to do with it?"

He smiled to the woman. "Your High Priestess and her daughters are badly injured, and being kept unconscious so they will heal more steadily and more quickly. Yet though their condition is very poor, they are stable and growing steadily stronger. I think it is best you wait until your High Priestess and Blessed Daughters have recovered, and can tell you themselves what happened in the Pit of Hate, and of my part in it." Though he could not see her expression, and her robe largely concealed her body language, he could still see how tense she was.

Ayano turned sharply on her heel. "With me," she said to the congregation. Once they were out in the cool night, she led them to an empty plaza. "I know exactly what you're thinking," she said, her tone seething with barely suppressed fury. "But the High Priestess explicitly wants us to stay alive to bear the next generation, and too many of us would die if we attacked even a weakened Samurai. So we will wait until the High Priestess recovers." The others reluctantly agreed, and went off to the cave they'd claimed for their temporary residence.

Jack continued to visit his companions daily, speaking to them of various things, mostly inconsequential, until the doctors said they were ready to be woken. He had a messenger inform the cultists, and they gathered around the beds, four to a bed with Jack at the foot of the High Priestess', Ayano and Rika at the sides and two other Daughters between them and Jack. Their leader's eyes flickered open, and she slowly took in the tableau. "The girls," she gasped softly. "Are they…"

"They are as well as you," Jack assured her, and faint moans echoed his words. "Your congregation watches them even as we speak."

Ayano took her hand gently. "We did our part, just as you instructed. No beetle drones got through. If you feel yourself up to it, we wish to know what happened in the Pit of Hate. How were you and the Daughters so badly hurt? Was it the Samurai? But if it was, why did he watch over you so assiduously? Please, we do not understand this at all."

The High Priestess struggled to sit, but Jack shook his head, and instructed her in the operation of the bed. She raised the bed to a semi-sitting position, and took a deep breath, so far as she could. "He did nothing to harm us. These wounds were from Aku."

That triggered a veritable firestorm of subdued outrage. "Say on, High Priestess," Ayano said, voice turned cold. "But choose your words carefully. You are not above being charged and tried."

The High Priestess nodded slightly to that. "I know. But I must speak the truth. It was Aku who tried to kill us." She looked down, her face tight. "I am sorry to have to tell you that."

Ayano's answer was freighted with tightly controlled fury. "When you have recovered, you will return to the temple where you will be put on trial for heresy."

Jack looked between them, and the High Priestess' calm demeanour amazed him as she answered. "Of course. I presume you will speak for the Temple, and I will speak for myself?"

"Yes," Ayano answers in a similarly calm manner, almost relaxed. "And Rika will hear the testimony and give the ruling."

"That is acceptable. If Rika agrees, of course?"

The brute's groan sounded interrogative, and Ayano looked to her. "Rika, you take justified pride in three things: your size, your strength, and your absolutely refusal to take sides. You are the only one in the Temple we can al trust to weigh all the evidence fairly." Rika made an affirmative-sounding grunt.

Jacks looked between the three, his bafflement clear on his face, and Ayano spoke again to the High Priestess. "The doctors tell us you'll be well again fairly soon, and we're all looking forward to your return to the Temple. Especially the girls, who must have wondrous tales to tell."

The High Priestess actually smiled at that. "Oh, they do. But those tales are theirs."

"Of course," Ayano agreed. "Would you like us to leave you to your rest?"

"No," se said. "Tell me of the Temple, and what transpired in my absence." And so began what amounted to a gossip session. Jack quietly withdrew, feeling terribly out of place.


	65. On Trial

Later, once the congregation had returned to their cavern, Jack returned to the women, speaking quietly with each, the High Priestess last. He let his concern for her show as he approached her bed. "I will not ask the tired questions. But I will ask this: why did your assistant's mood change so sharply?"

She looked down. "Our is a very legalistic faith. Samurai. Ayano was infuriated by my heresy, of course, but my acceptance of our rules and procedures placated her. She will abide by our laws, as will I."

"I… see," he said slowly. "And after the trial?"

She did not look up. "If I am found not guilty, I will remain High Priestess. If not, my punishment will be severe. At the least, I will be cast out. At the worst, I will be sentenced to exposure."

"No," Ashi said, as firmly as her condition allowed. "You will not be exposed. Mother, you fought Aku himself. We're not going let the sisters kill you."

She smiled a little, and looked over to her. "You won't need to. I know the law." Seeing Jack's puzzled look, she continued. "Exposure is a death sentence, effectively. The condemned is bound firmly, with strong, heavy rope, to a trunk of a tree outside the forest by which we live, then left alone to perish of hunger and thirst. But the actual sentence says 'to live or die as Aku wills.' And since my powers come from Aku…"

Jack smiled slightly. "I see. But you hope to be acquitted."

"Yes," she said firmly, finally looking up. "I must be acquitted so I can lead the Daughters into the new world. I am their leader, their well-being is my responsibility."

Jack agreed. "But if you are found guilty?"

He could see the girls tense up, ready to speak, then settle back when their mother raised her hand. "If I am found guilty, it will fall to my daughters to lead the congregation to truth. Only they, the true-born Daughters of Aku, will have the standing to enact the drastic changes that will be needed."

"We'll do all we can to help you, Mother," Aki said softly, and her mother smiled to them all.

"I know you will," she said, then laid back entirely. "Have you come every day to see us, Samurai?"

"Jack," he corrected gently. "It is what the people of this time call me. And yes, I have. As has your congregation. That surprised me, in truth."

She smiled slightly. "It surprises me as well."

"The weak have no place with Aku," said Adi. "I suppose we count as strong for surviving our injuries."

Jack paled a bit as he looked over to Aki. "They were… very severe." He tried not to recall too vividly the sight of their mangled bodies as they floated upward. "Only the strongest would have even lived to reach the transport, much less the surgery." Then he turned back to the High Priestess. "Do you truly believe that giant woman the best choice to hear the case?"

She nodded carefully. "Rika's not all that bright, I admit, but she never, ever acts on personal likes or dislikes in her duties. That's what matters most here: trials in the Temple involve each person telling their side to someone fair-minded and then they must accept that judgement. Of course, the woman hearing the two is expected to ask questions of her own, silence rambles, and so on. If we can show enough evidence, then I will remain High Priestess. And for sake of my congregation, I must retain my office."

Jack's face cleared. "I understand. She will act as what is called a magistrate. So long as you consider her sufficiently fair-minded, I have no concerns."

"Magistrate," the High Priestess answered. "Thank you, Samurai."

He looked to the girls, and reading their expressions, "Perhaps I should leave you to your rest?" They reluctantly nodded, and he departed.

Some time later, the women woke to the entrance of a nurse. In her yellow jumpsuit, she stood out sharply against the rough, dark walls as she went over to the window. "Would you like me to open the curtains?" They all shook their heads.

"The orange light is so homey," Aki told her. "But there is something you can do for us. Can you get our music player?"

"And perhaps our guns?" Ashi added. "We really don't like having no way to defend ourselves."

The nurse's eyes went wide. "Your guns? I'm sure I can arrange for your player, but the guns…" She shrugged. "I'll see what can be done."

.oO()Oo.

In a meeting room at the palace, a member of the local police force brought the girls' request before Jack. He considered the matter for a short time. "It seems wise. The girls are potential targets for fanatics, and they are exceptionally skilled fighters, and I have never known them to strike against a target they should not." Other than himself, that was. "They will not shoot one who is not a threat to them."

The officer accepted that, and along with their player, the girls received their guns. They vanished them, and Aki positioned the player carefully, adjusting the volume. "Mother," she asked, "will you lead the singing?" And a familiar drum roll filled the quiet room.

"We are a family!" she sang as invited.

When the song was done, Aki smiled to her. "You've earned the right, Mother," and the High Priestess' heart warmed.

"Thank you," she said softly.

.oO()Oo.

They recovered quickly, injuries that would have kept most bedridden for months leaving them mostly confined for weeks. Every day, Jack and the congregation visited them separately, keeping them up to date on current events, and once the eight were recovered, the High Priestess took back her staff of office, and made a decree: The Daughters of Aku would perform a pilgrimage, returning to the Temple on foot.

"You must still face charges, High Priestess," Ayano reminded her, voice cold.

"I know," she answered. "When we have returned to the temple, I will stand trial." If you still feel the need, she did not say.

.oO()Oo.

Jack said his goodbyes to the High Priestess and the girls well away from the congregation, and they agreed to meet again on the road near the temple's forests, two days before Night's Rise. The girls hugged his close, and the High Priestess took his hands. "I thank you, Jack. It is because of you that I have learned the truth of Aku, and earned the love of my children. I give you my word that though we ill continue to live in darkness, I will do all I can to lead my congregation into the light." He smiled to her, and expressed his confidence in simple words. Then they parted, and the High Priestess and her girls went to the cave the Daughters had claimed as a temporary sanctum, arriving just in time to lead the sunset services.

In her full regalia, the High Priestess addressed the congregation. "Daughters of Aku, I have new law for our pilgrimage. First, we will continue with our reduced prayer schedule. Second, we will dispense with our masks and headpieces outside of services. If questioned, we will say only that we are a contemplative order returning to our temple after a lengthy pilgrimage. You have doubtless learned by now how Aku is regarded in the greater world." There were murmurs in response, sounding worried. "As we want our return to be as peaceful as we can manage, we will not state our connection to him."

Ashi rose to stand beside her. "As we have more experience with the greater world than any others here, I and my sisters will be your guides. In our travels, we will without doubt come across many evils, and we will help you learn how to spot them, and how to fight them."

That brought murmurs of approval, and the girls, the High Priestess and Ayano began to discuss the details of the pilgrimage.

.oO()Oo.

The pilgrimage had been long and long, and by the time the congregation reached the Temple again, Night's Rise was very near indeed, and the majority of the women clearly well advanced in pregnancy. As the High Priestess had arranged, her and her daughters' motorcycle were at the roadside, and upon finding them, they kicked up their stands and walked them up to the Temple's entrance, parking them just inside the great entryway. Before undertaking this last stretch of the pilgrimage, they and the other Daughters of Aku donned their masks and headpieces, then after crossing the bridge, the congregation spread out through the temple, inspecting everything. Ayano, Rika, the High Priestess and her daughters gathered in the Hall of Worship; they looked into the bowl, and the High Priests and the girls looked to Ayano, amazed.

She smiled at them, though it could not be seen. "We planned for a long absence, and so set the greatest logs we could manage into the bowl. Akane estimated the time they'd need to burn to ash, and how to arrange them to burn longest, and it seems she was right, even with the delay from your injuries."

The High Priestess nodded to that. "Give her my congratulations. Now let us rebuild the fire and light the torches again. Then the trial shall begin." And so it was, with Ayano and the High Priestess to each side of Rika before all the congregation.

Ayano spoke first. "This a trial of heresy. The High Priestess claims that in the Last Battle, Aku deliberately sought to kill her and his own daughters, a blatant heresy, for no loving father would ever treat his offspring so, or their mother. If the High Priestess can prove that this claimed attack did in fact happen, then everything we have always believed is wrong, and our entire way of life and all our teaching must be discarded."

"In the Book of Aku, in Ayanami 7," the High Priestess answered, "there is written, 'humans err, but fact does not, and if the writings should say a thing is so when the facts say it is not, the writing are in error.' We have long agreed that such occurrences can and must overrule the writings. If I prove my statements, then Ayano is correct. If not, my fate is in Rika's hands."

Rika finally spoke, her voice deep, slow and rumbling as always. "Ayano has spoken. Ayano, have you more to say?"

Ayano had a great deal more to say, but after the first three quotations from the Book of Aku, Rika cut her off. "Do you have anything to say that is not 'Aku is a loving father and would not do this?'"

Ayano subsided. "No. It is self-evident that her claim is blackest heresy."

Rika turned to face the High Priestess. "What do you say?"

She nodded to that. "I have much evidence. First, look at these photographs of my and my daughters' injuries. The Samurai had only his sword in the Pit of Hate."

Rika looked them over. "Were there others in the Pit?"

"Only myself, my daughters, the Samurai, and Aku." She retained her normal icy demeanour, as she had since donning her mask once more.

Rika sat to contemplate, a slow process, then stood as the fire in the idol's bowl reached its peak. "In our travels, we learned that Aku was not loved. That much evil was done in His name, and no good. But before I give a judgement, I must first learn of the Samurai. True-born daughters of Aku, you know more of the Samurai than any other here. Tell us all you can of him, and of your dealings with him."

Aki took the lead in that, telling the tales of how they had faced and fought the Samurai, how he had captured them, the bargain they had struck and the adventures they had shared.

Finally, the tales were told, and Rika again spoke to the High Priestess and the girls. "You say that the Samurai is a good person, and your tales support the claim. The praises we heard of him on pilgrimage also support this. But Ayano is correct: a loving father such as Aku would not so hurt his children, or their mother. I will not believe this unless you can show that Aku is evil."

The eight looked to each other. "There is one thing we might be able to do," the High Priestess said. "Daughters, you spoke to me through our darkness. Perhaps we can show Rika what we felt at Aku's touch through hers?" The girls nodded, and they reached out to touch the giant woman, willing their darkness to flow into hers, reaching out through it to touch her spirit, focussing their memories through that connection to show Rika Aku's heart. They thought they had done it, then carefully withdrew, only to see the sisters had withdrawn, save for a few. Ayano was still there, and Rika of course.

The brute feel to her knees. "Ayano, What I saw… I cannot doubt their word. Aku was… evil. This is fact, and fact is not heresy."

Ayano fell to her knees, head in hands, sobbing audibly. "No…" she all but whispered, and the High Priestess laid her hand upon her shoulder.

"Rise, most faithful Ayano. You have done no wrong, only followed what you have believed all your life is true. I and my daughters will help you and the sisters learn the new way and the new law for the new world."

Ayano rose slowly. "Truly? You will help me even though…"

"Yes," she said simply. "We will."

Aki removed her mask. "In our time in the greater world, we learned much."

The few sisters still present looked to each, confusion clear in their stances and the way they kept looking between the participants, then the High Priestess turned to them. "We will no longer worship Aku; my daughters have found a new faith we will follow. Tell the others, and remind them if that if they seek to challenge this ruling, they challenge me."

.oO()Oo.

The news spread very quickly, and before sunset, the entire congregation gathered, and the High Priestess could feel their bafflement and, yes, anger. "Daughters of Aku, I know the question that is in your heart: if we do not worship Aku, what do we do?" A murmur of agreement ran through the small crowd. "We will continue a religious order, we will continue to be largely cloistered, we will remain militant. 'But who will we worship if our god was evil and is now dead?' I will not tell you; I will leave that to my daughter Adi."

Adi, clad only in her darksuit, took her place beside her mother. "Our new object of worship will be this," and she drew out her Eedyk block. "Pass this about;" she said, and passed the block to the nearest sister. As the block passed, she explained its symbolism. "We will draw up plans to carve a large Eedyk symbol where the idol of Aku is now. And if any of you doubt Aku's evil, let her come forth. We will merge your darkness with our own, and you will know the truth."

That triggered a storm of bailing, directed at the High Priestess, her daughters, and each other. Finally, the High Priestess tapped with the foot of her staff for silence. "I will let Rika tell her tale of this."

The brute rose, and stood opposite Adi beside the High Priestess. "The High Priestess," she said slowly, "and the true-born Daughters shared what they felt when Aku brought out their full power." She paused. "You know me. I tell you, it was evil itself. Dark, cold, hateful. Aku was cruel, selfish, not the loving father we were taught. Their spirits touched mine, and there can be no doubt what they showed was so."

The congregation subsided. Though it tore at their hearts, the idea that Aku had indeed been evil explained so much of what they had seen in their travels. "How do we worship this Eedyk?" asked one sister.

"We meditate upon it," Adi said. "Four times each day, for now, and we also worship by studying and exploring and contemplating the world around us. We do not bow before it, we do not give offerings or prayers. Our faith will change greatly, and I and my sisters and our mother will do our best to help you, all of you, through the change. She looked down, letting remembered pain show in her face. "We've all been through this, and we don't want you to suffer as we did."

"There is much to be done, much to be planned," said the High Priestess. "But these are matters for the future. Now, it is time for our service. Let us enter into meditation." And under her guidance, they did.


	66. The Closing of the Portal

As they had arranged, the High Priestess and her daughters met Jack at the side of the road two days before Night's Rise. They exchanged pleasantries, then Jack asked the needed question. "How did your congregation take your revelation?"

"Poorly," she admitted. "But they have accepted it, mostly. They all have darksuits now, and through their darkness, we can, with time and effort, share our experience of Aku's touch. That has been enough so far to convince the recalcitrant. But we have other concerns, much more important. We must go to the city, get books on childbirth, and supplies to see us through the winter and the early spring."

He nodded to that. "That is wise. And when the babes are born?"

She did not sigh, her mask helping her to stay composed. "We will do our best to raise them as we should have raised my daughters. Their lives will be strict, hard, demanding. They will grow up in darkness, but they will not grow up in darkness alone. They will have the forests, and whatever love we can give them, and they can give each other. And they will have lessons in many things my daughters never had."

Jack smiled faintly. "That is good, and I wish you well in this goal." Then he grew more serious. "It has occurred to me that if you have Aku's powers, you should be able to create time portals. I must ask a favour of you…"

Aji cut him short. "No. Not until we do some serious research into time travel and its consequences. You might not want to go back, or we might not be willing to send you. We don't know, and we won't know, for months. Jack, please. You've waited decades, you've slain Aku, you've finally gained some measure of inner peace. Wouldn't you rather know what you're getting into before you try to change what was? Not suffer another failure or risk catastrophe?"

"Some fool fled back and changed the past, and madness took his kin, remembering what now had never been. Time ripped loose around the qualur, judgement day most dire; all of Gate-spanned time convulsed in frost and wind and fire," Ami sang. "A bit of a song we came across when we were learning to read. Jack, do you really want to risk that? Please, give us time. Just a little."

His heart nearly tore itself from his chest, his anger surging. How, after all they had done, could the girls deny him this one last step? Yet… they were right. He sighed heavily. "Very well. After fifty years, three months is endurable. I will meet you again when the pass to your temple is clear."

The girls' masks smiled slightly. "Thank you Jack," Ashi said. "I promise, we'll do everything we can to learn about this." Ami shed her mask, and kissed his cheek quickly before they parted ways once more.

The months came and went, and Jack received, to his surprise, a letter.

Dear Jack,

The sisters have been delivered of their babes, and the little ones are thriving, even in the darkness of the temple. We are well, and have over the months convinced the sisters that yes, Aku was evil. The idol remains, as we have yet to finalize the plans for its resculpting and removal, but we will remove it over time.

By the time you receive this, we will be well to the north. Meet us there as soon as possible; your menpo can locate our masks. We have very important news for you, and feel it best to deliver it in person.

Yours in care and affection,

Aji.

The other girls' signatures followed, and Jack frowned in puzzlement. What had the girls learned? He would learn that here, and so he donned his armour once more, and rode north, following his mask's locator. At last, he found the girls, gathered around a tree's base. They did not look to him, their attention focussed on the tree, and he followed their gaze. Adi hung from the tree, body pressed against the trunk and arms stretched along the limbs, and he grasped his sword hilt before Aki laid her hand on his.

"No, Jack. Don't interfere. Let Aji tell you what's going on."

Jack subsided, but his face was hard and eyes narrow. Aji sat before him, and he too sat, then she began to speak.

.oO()Oo.

"Are you sure about this?" Ashi asked, for the tenth time at least.

Adi sighed, "Yes. We have to be sure," she told her sisters. "After all Jack's done for us, for everyone, we have to be sure, and this is the best way."

Ashi hugged her. "All right. We'll make sure you're kept watered, and we'll keep the scavengers off."

She smiled. "Thank you," she said softly, and they went to the ash tree so carefully chosen. There, Adi mounted the stepladder, and carefully wrapped her wrists with the ends of the rope, using the bindings they'd learned about in the city's library. Her sisters checked rechecked their tools: the large buckets for water, the apparatus, essentially a watering can on a pivot, that would let them get the contents to their suffering sister. They were ready, and and her nod, pulled the ladder away. Adi fell, jerked a bit against the ropes, and whimpered slightly. "Remember: do no cut me down. Not while I have breath in my body." They promised her they would not.

"For the last three days, she's hung there. We keep her watered, watch her constantly. The instant…"

.oO()Oo.

Adi walked the glorious streets of the Realm Eternal, beside her a great man with a broad-brimmed hat, worn brown cloak, and an eyepatch.

"I know what is your heart, Adi Akisdottir," the god-man said. "It is the way of gods to grant boons to mortals of courage, and I will tell you what you wish to know."

.oO()Oo.

"She's stopped breathing!" Ari cried out," and Aki swung her sword at the rope, and their crucified sister fell. Avi caught her, laid her down.

"Aji, breathe for her," Ashi commanded. "Ari, reawaken her heart. I will join my darkness to hers and call for her spirit." And as the girls moved with blinding speed to save their beloved sibling, Jack watched, helpless to aid them. Long seconds passed, then Adi coughed, hard, and vomited up… nothing, really. A little bile, a lot of water. She slowly, carefully, sat, then stood, her hand pressed against the ash tree.

"It worked," she said. "He spoke to me." She saw Jack then, and fell to her knees, face pressed to the ground. "Oh, Samurai, please, I beg you, forgive for what I must say," she sobbed as she pressed her palms together as though it prayer.

"Ah… I forgive, you," he said, and the distraught girl spoke.

.oO()Oo.

"You can make time portals, yes. But the Samurai's quest is not possible, for one cannot change what has already been. Tell me this," he asked in his deep, gentle voice. "If you were to send the samurai back to his own time, how could you send him back?"

Adi considered that, slowly sorting it through. If they sent him back, he would kill Aku and free the world. But if he killed Aku, there would be nobody to sire them, and thus, nobody to send him back. Her head started to hurt. "I… see. Then we will simply continue to protect this world, and to help our sisters in worship find the light."

The god smiled slightly to her. "Yes. As will your mother. It is rare for a god to tell a mortal of the future, but I will tell you this: you and your sisters will have long lives and difficult, but there will be enough joy that you will count your lives good."

.oO()Oo.

"Oh, Samurai, I would rather be given to Aku as a burnt offering than tell you that, but…" and she completely broke down.

Jack fell to his knees, and moaned out a denial. The girls eventually helped him and their sister to stand, and led them to the nearby cabin. They quickly lit a fire, not for warmth but for the simple, atavistic comfort, and started a kettle of tea. They helped Jack out of his armour, and piled themselves upon him and upon their sister. Safety, shelter, touch, fire, the most primal comforts, these were the best things they knew how to give the tormented pair.

.oO()Oo.

Over the next few days, the six helped the two as best they could to come to terms with the unwanted truth, and finally, it was Ari who asked the needed question.

"Is it really so bad, Jack?" she asked as she and Adi lay against him before the fireplace, the night filled with the soft sounds of insects beyond the cabin walls. "You have a place here; the world mostly loves you; Aku is gone; and in us and our mother, you even have a family of sorts. You've helped us so much, please, let us help you."

And though it hurt, Jack agreed.


End file.
